


Dodging Bludgers

by grey_soul



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:07:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 58,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24420298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grey_soul/pseuds/grey_soul
Summary: The war is over but Ginny feels like she is still fighting to prove her worth. A.K.A. Now that the Golden Trio has finished saving the Wizarding World, it's Ginny's and Draco's turn! Lots of Weasley family moments! Ginny/Harry to Ginny/Draco
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley, Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, George Weasley/Angelina Johnson, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Charlie Weasley, Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood/Marcus Flint, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger
Comments: 14
Kudos: 40





	1. Pass the Quaffle Part 1

“So, this is it.”

“Yep. You’ll take care of her and I’ll take care of him.”

“Will do,” said Ginny as she held onto Ron’s shoulders and he held hers. They were saying goodbye again. Ginny and Hermione were leaving to finish their last year of school while Ron and Harry were about to embark on their Auror training. The past summer had been spent mourning those who had lost their lives in the war and rebuilding the relationships between those who had survived. “You’ll check in on George?”

Ron nodded. “Every week. And hey,” he gave her a look, “go easy on Bill and Charlie, they’re learning too.”

With McGonagall in need of help to rebuild, Bill and Charlie Weasley had both agreed to teach at Hogwarts this year. Bill as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and Charlie as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor while Hagrid focused on repairs around the castle. Ginny had no doubt that they would be instrumental in rebuilding the school and student morale, but at the same time so much had happened there in the past few years. It was not that same school that Bill and Charlie remembered in their nostalgia. Helping them rebuild school spirit meant her having to come to terms with the things that had occurred there last year. She wasn’t sure where to start. So, Ginny chose to just roll her eyes.

“What else would I do?”

“Be a brat.”

“Only because you’re all prats,” Ginny shot back.

Harry tapped Ron’s shoulder from behind. “Can I say goodbye too?” Harry asked nicely.

“Oi! Wait your turn!” barked Ron as he pulled his little sister into a tight hug.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A week into the term and Ginny was still trying to find her footing. It was weird having Bill as her professor. _Only if you make it weird!_ Charlie’s voice in her head reminded her. However, as Ginny sat in the library staring at the blank parchment in front of her, she could not help but make it weird. She was having a hard time trying to write a paper for her brother—because it was her brother. Her two eldest brothers had always been so cool and interesting. She couldn’t picture them grading a pile of papers. Would Bill expect hers to be different? Was it her job as his sister to be the gem in the pile to make him laugh?

_Well, you asked for a paper on hexes so I thought we could go through the ones that I’ve used on you first—_

Was that inappropriate? It was all she had.

Tapping at her temples, she decided to take a break from the debate when she overheard a group of second-year voices. They were four of them on the other side of the bookshelf in front of Ginny. It was the fear in their voices that compelled Ginny to listen.

“…detention, already? What did you two do?”

“Forget that—what do you think they’re going to do to us?” a second-year boy whimpered miserably.

“He said he works with dragons normally!” his friend pointed out. “And we saw the tools in the shed that he uses…do you think he would…”

“I-I don’t know, er—the DA—could you ask them?”

At their noises of defeat, Ginny stood up and peeked her head out from the bookshelf, revealing herself to the group. “Did someone say DA?”

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Thirty minutes later, Ginny knocked on the DADA classroom door and popped her head in, “Bill, are you still here—" Stopping when she was surprised to find her two oldest brothers standing over a crying Susan Bones.

“Oh, sorry.” Ginny turned to leave.

“No!” Susan wailed. “Ginny—please,” Ginny looked back at Susan who was frantically gesturing for her to come join them. “Please-please tell them I can’t.”

Ginny walked over to Susan, putting a hand on her shoulder. She made eye contact with Bill and was not surprised to see, neither he nor Charlie had any idea what was going on. “What happened?” she mouthed to them.

Bill flailed, uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I caught her passing notes in class so I gave her a detention, but I don’t…”

Susan inched toward Ginny, when her face was as close to Ginny’s ear as she can get it, she whispered, “Could you take it for me, Ginny? Y-You know I can’t—cannot handle a-another—”

“Su-Miss Bones, Ginny can’t take a detention for you,” said Bill, a bit surprised at overhearing her ask. Behind Susan’s back, Ginny held up her hand at her brothers.

“Susan, it’s not like last year, remember? They’re not going to hurt you. Detentions are just normal detentions again. I mean—” she looked to her brothers for help, “what exactly are you doing for detention?”

“I hadn’t really decided,” Bill started, reaching to scratch the back of his head. “I always hated writing lines so it would probably be helping me set up for the next day’s lesson or writing another paper for the class.”

Susan’s face whipped to Ginny’s, stricken. “Writing?” She held up her curled right hand with her left. “Like writing with those quills that cut into—”

“No! No, Susan, those quills are gone. It would just be writing with a normal quill.”

Susan folded her arms over her chest, clutching her robes, she leaned as much into Ginny as possible. “In the dungeons? Alone?” she whispered. She was clearly not comfortable with her brothers so close, who in turn both appeared thoroughly discomforted by what they were hearing. In another turn, this thoroughly discomforted Ginny who had never seen her two most self-assured charismatic brothers uncomfortable because a teenage girl (who wasn’t her) was uncomfortable with them. _Was it just her or was Bill trying to make himself look smaller?_

Charlie stepped up and said, “Actually, one of the things I came over to ask Bill about was if we could combine our detentions and have the students help me clean some of the enclosures. Detention could be a nice evening outside, in a _group_ , you know—” with a charming smile, “shoveling dung.”

Susan’s eyes shot to Bill and ricocheted back to Ginny. Ginny felt Susan’s body tense and realized the girl was switching from despair to panic. “In the woods?” Susan whispered, “I’m not a fast runner,” she sobbed.

For a moment, this confused Ginny, but when she looked back at Bill her eyes widened. “No.” Ginny held the girl’s shoulder, looking her in the eye. “They are not going to synch anything on you, Susan. There will not be anything bad in the woods—well, ok, there’s always something else in the woods, but Charlie will be there the entire time and if anything happened to show up he would for sure protect you guys.” Could it be? Ginny swore she was seeing what looked like hope in Susan’s eyes, so she continued. “What if I tagged along?” Looking between Susan and her brothers. “So, if you get scared, I’ll be there.”

“What if—”

“I’ll be there.”

A tear ran down Susan’s cheek but was silent as she vehemently nodded at the plan and her thanks to Ginny. Ginny looked over at Charlie. “Sure,” he said shrugging.

After another thanks to Ginny, Susan left, shutting the classroom door behind her. Ginny sighed and sank into one of the desks. Her brothers followed suit.

“Well, that’s not what we want,” said Charlie.

“No shit,” said Bill sounding defeated, “I really didn’t think…”

“It’s not personal. Last year was bad, awful bad. Detention is just a much scarier word than when you lot went to school,” said Ginny.

Bill tried to tread lightly as he spoke. “Charlie and I’ve been talking about all of these…implications that we’ve been hearing. McGonagall and the other professors warned us, but none of them could go into too much detail.”

“They took precautions to keep McGonagall from interfering. Sometimes it felt impossible for us to reach out to the other professors in any way. I’m not really certain exactly how much they even know.” The siblings shared a silent moment together.

“What was that look she gave me when we mentioned the woods?” asked Bill.

Ginny fidgeted. “There was one detention with Neville, Luna, and I where they dumped us in the woods—and well it was a full moon—they told us to watch out for Greyback before they left.” Charlie swore. “It really wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Snape made sure we kept our wands and we had each other. It was more of them making an example out of us to scare the rest of the castle.”

Bill wouldn’t meet her eyes. “They think I’m—"

Ginny reached forward to clasp one of his hands in hers. “It’s not personal. Rationally, everyone knows you’re both war heroes. Just give it another couple of weeks for them to complete the first round of detentions. They just need to get use to feeling safe again.” Bill nodded

“Want to join us for lunch?” asked Charlie, wanting to change the subject.

“Nah,” she replied, standing up. “I need to go complain to George about how I have detention now because of you two dolts.”

Charlie snorted and pulled her back in a headlock to ruffle her hair. “Oi! You’re a professor now! This is inappropriate,” she yelled through her laughs.

“Eh they can fire me. Family first.” Then sobering, with her still in a headlock, he bent his head to whisper seriously, “Sorry we weren’t here last year.”

Bill’s troubled eyes had the same sediment reflecting back at her when she looked over.

Charlie’s arms slacked and she turned to face him. Shrugging, she said, “You’re here now,” and gave him a squeezing hug. “And seriously, don’t worry. In a few weeks, they’re all going to love you both.”

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

And love them they did. Ginny ruefully remembered her words in the DADA classroom two weeks ago. The first round of detentions had come and gone. Ginny had dutifully attended for Susan and other worrywarts. Survivors spread word throughout the castle that no harm had been inflicted on them. In fact, while shoveling dung did not sound like anyone’s favorite pastime, it was now widely understood as a worthwhile experience considering you were privy to Professor Charles Weasley’s tale-telling personality. A decent number of students now looked forward to any time spent in his presence.

Bill had found his footing too. After one class where he had decided to open up about the scar marring his face, he stopped shying away from coupling war stories with defense lessons. Students appreciated his candor. Those years six and under, who had not been allowed to stay for the battle, were in awe of him. They found freedom in dueling each other safely again. He offered a similar sense of empowerment just as Harry had when the DA first formed, Ginny thought.

It was all well and great for them but as their baby sister, Ginny did not feel as thrilled as she felt she should have.

It was the first Hogsmeade weekend and George had prepped his shop’s second location grand re-opening just in time for it. It was here, in the corner of the bustling store that Ginny stood eavesdropping on a group of female students from mixed houses as they united to discuss one thing: What was the best way to slip love potion to Professor Weasley?

At least they had moved on from discussing which Professor Weasley they preferred. In the end, Team Bill and Team Charlie had agreed to disagree. It was sickening to listen to, but she couldn’t help herself.

“You’re hearing this too? It’s not just me?”

Ginny turned to her right to find that George had joined her after finishing with customers. “Hear it? I’ve heard it all week.”

“Aw,” he said tauntingly, “I think someone doesn’t want to share.” He ruffled her hair, “Now that she’s not the only one worshipping them.”

“I did no such thing!” exclaimed Ginny, swatting away his hands.

“Always running to hug them when they came home, bunking with them when you had bad dreams, begging them to protect you from pranks…Well, guess what Gin-Gin? They can’t always be there anymore to give you a cuppa when you’re down. You’ve lost the cuteness factor,” he tapped her nose, “and now they’ve got all of these other underage girls to look after.”

“Ew”

“Not the best choice of words, I admit. But no worries,” he said, putting an arm around her, “I don’t plan on taking myself off the market anytime soon. Though I do wonder what their reaction would be when they realize there is a third, even finer, male-Weasley-specimen on the premises.” His eyebrows waggled at her until she giggled. He gestured for her to ‘wait for it’ and approached the group of girls.

His arms swooped wide as he addressed the group. “Hello! Hello! Hello! How are we finding everything over here? Love potions—excellent choice! Now…” Ginny watched the following blushing-giggling-and-even- _stuttering_ interaction in horrified fascination.

When he was done, he rejoined his sister, leaning against the wall next to her. He looked too proud of himself for her to comment. “You’re right. They’re too far gone.”

“I don’t even recognize them anymore.”

“You understand what this means right? It’s now your job to protect our brothers’ virtue,” he said gravely.

“Or you could just, you know, not sell them the love potion that they’re planning to use on our own brothers.”

“Now, you know I can’t be responsible for how the products are used. If I stop this now, what’s next? The end to all pranks? That’s madness.”

Ginny groaned and looked at him pleadingly. “Sorry kid, but it looks like you’ve got a rough year ahead of you.”

“Oi! What’s this about a rough year?”

Ginny and George looked up from each other to find Bill and Charlie who had just walked into the store. It was Charlie who had asked the question, but Bill also seemed curious. “Did something happen, Ginny?” asked Bill, concerned.

“Nope. No, it was nothing. George was just joking.” George moved forward to hug his two brothers. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny noticed they, the watchers, had now become the watchees with the arrival of the two favorite Weasley professors. Feeling uncomfortable in her corner, Ginny continued, “George, I’ll check-in again on my way back from the castle. I’m going over to The Three Broomsticks to meet Harry.”

George snickered, knowing the source of her discomfort. “Sure, sure,” he replied. She shoved his arm hard on her way out, ignoring the weird looks from Bill and Charlie when she did.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny scanned the overfilled Three Broomsticks for her raven-haired boyfriend. She was about to revert to stepping onto one of the tables when two strong arms wrapped around her from behind. “Looking for me?” a familiar voice whispered into her ear. Her heart did a summersault. She turned and wrapped her arms around the neck of her boyfriend.

“Hey there,” she breathed, inches away from his lips. His eyes sparkled down at her, playfully. She loved that look. His hand gripped her waist and they were off to their make-out session. Usually their kisses in public wouldn’t have included tongue, but sex had been a new exploration this summer for the young couple. Together they had come to embrace their horniness and after a long stretch of being apart, neither cared who was staring at them as they greeted each other.

There was a wolf-whistle and some clapping before Ron cleared his throat and the two parted, foreheads resting together.

“I missed you,” Harry whispered. “Hermione got here a full ten minutes ago; I have you know. I couldn’t take watching them anymore. I like to think we look better when we kiss.”

“We do, for sure,” giggled Ginny. “And sorry, I had to visit George first.”

“How was he?”

“I don’t know,” she replied tentatively, shrugging. “He looked and sounded like his old self but…I’m not sure. It might just be the adrenaline of re-opening.”

Harry nodded. They trailed over to the seats that Ron and Hermione had saved them. It was a table for six and the other couple looked to be so engrossed in themselves on the far end that Harry and Ginny paid them no mind. While Harry went to get them drinks, Ginny swore she could hear Ron attempting to recite a poem to his girlfriend over the noise of the crowd and struggled to stifle her snickers. Apparently, she didn’t succeed because under the table she received a swift kick in the shin.

“ _Ow!_ ”

“What’s wrong?” asked Harry, setting down two Butterbeers in between them. Ron hadn’t even looked up, _the fucker_.

“Oh, nothing,” she smiled, focusing back on Harry. “So, how’s Auror training going?”

Harry sipped his Butterbeer trying to decide how to answer. “It’s great, grueling, but great and really eye opening most of the time. It’s just…” he trailed off and Ginny gestured encouragingly for him to continue. “It’s just sometimes I feel like a stupid kid who doesn’t deserve to be there. I mean I didn’t even finish school.”

“Harry,” her fingers trailed lightly over the backs of his hands, “if you feel like a stupid kid now after everything you’ve already done, just think about all the things you’re going to accomplish a few years down the line as a full-fledged Auror.”

His fingers clasped into hers. “That’s what I keep trying to tell myself…” then smiled. “Your letters help a lot…Maybe if I had somehow been able to get letters from you last year, defeating Voldermort would’ve gone a lot faster.”

“Woa, that’s a lot of pressure you’re putting on me, Potter, to be funny in your next letter.”

“Nah,” he rebutted. One of his fingers lightly trailed up her arm, giving her goosebumps. “Just stay…Ginny, and I think we’ll be alright.” Her teeth bit her bottom lip.

“What if I visited you next weekend? I could go through the tunnel in the Room of Requirement and Floo from Abe’s?” She had been toying with the idea of how easy this could be last weekend, staring up at the ceiling of her bunk.

Harry’s eyebrows shot up. “That sounds brilliant,” he encouraged. “We could go explore muggle London. We could go get dinner somewhere. Ginny—we could go get dinner somewhere without telling your parents when to expect us back by!” They laughed. “We would also have to visit Teddy though, he misses you.”

“He’s a baby, but deal.”

“Then it’s a date.” His hand toyed with hers on the table. “What to get out of here?” He looked pointedly to the other couple, now making out on the opposite side of the table. “We could take a walk?”

Ginny murmured her agreement and the two left the pub hand-in-hand. Students, especially the younger ones, whispered as they passed. The couple ignored them. They had learned to survive walking through Diagon Alley over the summer and this was been nothing compared to that.

“So, did you learn anything more about tryouts this year?”

“Yes!” Ginny bounced, remembering what she wanted to tell him. “Angelina sent me a letter back and said the Harpies are holding tryouts in March!”

“That’s great, did you put your name in?”

“Well, I want to wait because she also warned that there will be scouts at some of the games this year—which I knew, but like I told Hooch—I don’t want to know when they’re there." 

“Good choice, don’t let your nerves get in the way.” She had started to twist the fabric of her robe with her free hand, so Harry stopped them a few feet from Madam Padfoot’s. Setting his hands on her shoulders he told her straight, “You’re amazing on a broom, Ginny. You’ve been training for this since you were six when your family wouldn’t let you on a broom because you were too small. Well, guess what? You’re still small—” he made the point by running his hands over the length of her body suggestively, “but you’ve got skill and speed on your side. You are going to get picked, Ginny.”

She pulled him into a rough hug, just wanting to rest her head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Potter,” she whispered.

“Anytime,” he replied. Their bodies shared a moment, pressed together, before Harry, who had been looking over her shoulder, bent to whisper in her ear. “I think I see Bill watching us.” Ginny groaned.

“Ignore him. They’re suppose to be giving me space since it’s my last year and all. So—” she looked up playfully, “if none of my brothers were in sight what would we do next?” She raked her hands up and down Harry’s hard chest as a clue. He groaned.

One squeeze of his hand on her waist and they were off to making out again.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

“We definitely have the pitch booked during this time slot, Weasley.”

“Yeah, well, I think I would remember having today’s slot booked since this is the slot we take nearly every single week, Malfoy.”

“Maybe you should have your brother check that for you.”

“There is no need for us to involve my brother—Professor Weasley to you—in this misunderstanding.” When Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindor team had shown up for practice that evening, so had Draco Malfoy and his crew. Two teams, one pitch, and wonky scheduling procedures. The two were currently discussing things a safe distance away from both of their teams to avoid a full-blown argument between houses. Ginny looked over at her team and could tell they were getting antsy. Dean looked ready to hex at her call. She shot them a smile and a thumbs up, before turning back to Draco. “It’s ours, for sure." 

The prissy blonde pursed his lips, debating his next words. She did not enjoy waiting on him. “ _Alright_ , Weasley,” Draco conceded, drawing out his words. Ginny caught herself from gapping. “Heaven knows your team needs the practice more than we do. You may have the pitch this evening. I’ll be--”

“Woa, woa, woa, you think you’re just giving it away because we’re like what—charity, to you?”

“Your words, but yes. And didn’t you just try to argue the field was yours?”

“Exactly, it’s our field so you conceding isn’t generous in anyway,” argued Ginny. Draco shrugged, unaffected. Ginny didn’t like it. “We could always just share it? One team is in the air for the first hour while the other in on the ground completing their workout. Your practices include a solid work-out correct?”

Draco’s head tilted, looking amused at her small frame. “Well I guess I can always count on you to say no to charity out of your own insecurities, Weasley. I literally gave you the pitch two seconds ago…” _I know!_ She wanted to scream. “But yes, of course we include a solid workout into the practice session—we’re not Hufflepuff. As long as you don’t accuse us of spying or make that the focus of this session then we have no issue with sharing.”

Ginny shrugged. “We have no need to spy on you as long as you all mind yourselves while my team is in the air. Go ahead and take the first hour, we’re just warming up.”

“Deal.”

Ginny held out her hand to make a point, not really expecting him to take it and was surprised when he did. Mid-handshake she realized this was her first time ever touching Draco Malfoy. _Was this what progress felt like?_ She wondered for a split second before noting how soft his hand felt. She visibly shook her head to jumble those thoughts. They shook on it and went back to their teams.

“Alright! So, here’s what’s going to happen!” she barked to get their attention. Her two beaters scrambled to their feet. “Slytherin will take the air for the first hour while we stay down here warming up. In an hour we’ll switch. While we go through exercises keep your eyes peeled on your counterparts up there. Don’t be too obvious but learn what they favor, watch for patterns, and sense their weaknesses. We’ll debrief after.”

And so, began a very informational practice session.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Afterwards, when the sweat dripped from her brow as she proudly dismissed her team, she had been surprised to find Malfoy waiting in the stands. Maybe waiting wasn’t the right word—it didn’t look like he waited for anybody. His right arm stretched over the seats next to him. His legs were crossed, and it made her wonder if it was normal for boys to cross their legs. Well, they definitely did not look like him when they did it, she concluded. He looked like he owned the pitch that she stood on. Hell, it looked like he owned the seats just by touching them.

Before Ginny indulged herself by analyzing how the sun complimented his facial bone structure, she took a seat two rows in front of him. She prided herself in being near him and having not to look at him.

He spoke first. “Your chaser—the small blonde one—”

“—Sophia—” “—she needs to watch her left side. It kept looking like the bludger was going to wipe her clean off the broom.”

Ginny would’ve been irritated if it hadn’t been for his relaxed demeanor. His words were crisp. There wasn’t anything snide in his tone and they had just accomplished a pretty productive practice considering the time restraints. So, she went with it. “I thought we agreed not to spy?” she said, no sneer, just a comment. When she didn’t hear a reply she looked back at him wondering if she had finally caught him at a loss for words. But instead he just looked back at her like he was waiting.

What the hell, she thought, practice had been great. “Zabini needs to stop trying to switch up his throws. It’s like he doesn’t even know which hoop he wants to toss it in.”

“Try telling him that.”

“Oh, I would never. That would be his captain’s job.”

They shared a quiet moment together that Ginny found oddly peaceful. She didn’t need to look back to know his lips were quirked up. “You’re right,” he said evenly, “I’ll focus on Zabini while you work at building your team’s arm strength.”

She smiled to herself. “I did notice those exercises you were doing earlier. I may have to use them.”

“How very Slytherin of you.”

“We always knew there was something off about her.”

Ginny turned at the sound of the newcomer’s voice. She had been so relaxed in the quiet lull with Malfoy that she hadn’t noticed Charlie walking up to them. He appeared to be walking Fang for Hagrid, but the question of how long he had been watching the pitch for immediately came to her mind. The peace left her body. She loved her brother immensely, but this was _her_ chance as Gryffindor quidditch captain and _her_ shot at the cup. His had passed.

Charlie’s tone had been plenty friendly but at his sister’s lack of retort, he paused. Maybe Draco noticed her tensing too because he excused himself right after, leaving the two siblings sizing each other up. It had been a good practice, she thought bitterly. However, she knew inside that one critique from her older brother, no matter how friendly, would not allow her to go to bed that night feeling like a success.

Charlie took the seat next to her. She focused on deep breaths. “How was practice?” he asked, as if trying not to sound too interested even though she knew he lived for these types of rundowns.

“It was fine.”

“I didn’t get to see any of it—” She deflated. He noticed. “You know if you don’t want me to watch practices you can just tell me.”

Her face shot back to his. “No, I-I didn’t say—I don’t care…do want you want.” Making eye contact with him had been a mistake, immediately causing her insides to feel bad.

Thankfully, he didn’t push it. “Bill wanted me to ask about how the team was doing, you know, as the Head of House.”

“Well, why didn’t Bill ask me that himself?”

“I think he just didn’t want to make things anymore awkward with the professor-student, brother-sister relationship mix.” “Well, he’s the one making it awkward now by not talking to me,” Ginny pointed out, exasperated.

“Only because you’ve been ignoring him.” Point taken. She knew she didn’t have a case there. “I just don’t think he figured that being at the same school as his little sister would make him miss her so much.” Well, that make her feel great. Charlie took pity on her, seeming like he had said what he needed to say. “So,” he started, sounding more relaxed, “was Malfoy bothering you earlier?”

“No, but you know what is?”

Charlie smiled. “Chin up. You had a really good practice today. Be proud of yourself. Get some rest so you can do it again tomorrow.”

“You said you didn’t watch it,” she pouted.

He tapped the underside of her chin fondly. “Last one, I swear.” On the walk back to the castle, Ginny pushed her pride down long enough for her to ask Charlie if he could help her train. Professional tryouts for the league were coming up in spring and she needed to be ready—not that she was going to tell her brothers that. Trying out for a team and not getting picked would be a shame that she would barely be able to handle personally. She was definitely not doing it with the eyes of her quidditch-enthused brothers on her, on top of it.

Instead, she made it clear that it wasn’t the team’s practices she wanted help with but simply her own personal growth as a chaser. Charlie had looked curious but agreed without questioning it. After they parted, Ginny unconsciously skipped her way to the Great Hall.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It turned out later that week that Ginny wouldn’t need to gather the courage to stop ignoring her eldest brother, because instead she had been thrust into a mission to save his job, marriage, and livelihood. Ginny walked purposely through the corridor leading away from the Great Hall. She had to get to the greenhouses.

“Ginny!” someone called behind her. “Ginny, can we talk?”

Ginny, keeping her pace, looked back to find Hermione who had caught up with her. “Sure! Walk with me. We’re doing something.” Ginny hooked her arm around Hermione’s.

“Oh—alright.” She fell into step with Ginny. “I-I wanted to tell you that I want to go with you this weekend. I need to go. Also, what are we doing?”

“Luna overheard a ‘plot’ in the lavatory this morning, so we are on a mission to stop it. Where do you want to go this weekend?”

Hermione gave her a look. “Ginny, you know exactly what I mean.” Ginny stared back at the older girl. “I’m talking about going with you on Friday night, after your Quidditch practice, when you sneak out of Hogwarts through the Room of Requirement tunnel and Floo from Ab’s to Grimmwauld Place to spend the weekend with Harry; except I’ll be spending the weekend with Ron who just happens to live there too.”

Ginny had the decency to feel a bit sheepish. “Right. I always thought you were so invested with stuff at the library that you didn’t notice…”

“Considering we sleep in the same dorm; I have to say that’s a bit insulting.”

Ginny snorted. “You’re right. I’m sorry, and of course we can go together! Actually, I’m not even sure if Ron knows that I stay over on weekends.”

“He does. He just chooses to ignore it. And this weekend I can help him ignore it,” said Hermione grinning. Ginny had to smile back but faltered when her brother Bill turned into the corridor in front of them. He hadn’t noticed them, and they were one corridor away from the greenhouses. She picked up their pace.

“Ginny, are we following your brother?”

“Yes, and we are about to save his sorry arse. Do you see that girl way up there—watering the plants?” Hermione squinted at a brunette who appeared to be haphazardly spraying plants up ahead and nodded. “Well, when my brother passes her, she is going to ‘accidently’ spray my brother with love potion—“ Hermione gasped, “—we must intercept. I will push Bill to safety and—when you get close enough to her—I need you to squeeze this.” Ginny dropped a white harmless gummy-marble-looking item into Hermione’s hand. “It will pop into a mist that should neutralize any foolishness that she’s hiding on her. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Great, see you on the other side.” Ginny sprinted forward like the athlete she was, eye on her target. Bill was just mere meters away from the crazy girl when Ginny bolted into him from his right side, pushing him in the opposite direction of the marriage-slash-job-ending spray. Ginny paid no attention to the girl and instead looked up at her older brother with what she hoped was youthful adoration, hugging his side. George was correct when he said she always used to greet Charlie and Bill by running into their arms. She had been an adorable kid.

 _I still got it_ , she thought as Bill peered down at her. “ _Bill!_ ”

Balancing himself, he seemed pleasantly surprised. “Hiya sprite. What’s up?” he asked, brushing a hand over her hair, resting his arm over her shoulders.

Beaming, she shrugged. “I don’t know. I just missed you.”

Apparently, that had been the perfect thing to say because Bill’s arm tightened around her. Did his eyes just mist over? She wondered. The siblings continued down the corridor, arm in arm, as Bill proceeded to ask how quidditch practice had gone the other day. In the distance, Ginny heard a faint ‘pop’ and she rested her head against Bill arm in relief as she gave him a rundown on the team’s progress.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Later that same day, Ginny was laying on her dormitory bed, hands under head, analyzing each aspect of her current life with growing concern. She had just finished imaging how she would receive her Holyhead Harpies rejection letter when she could take no more. Stumbling from her bed to Hermione’s, where the older girl was quietly reading, she pulled the bunk curtains shut and jumped onto the bed in crisscross formation. Hermione set her book down and looked up expectantly.

“Thanks for today,” Ginny started.

“Of course. I realize it must be hard for you right now with all the—” Hermione nodded toward their dorm mates, just outside of the curtains, who were currently debating what would be more arousing: to be held by Professor B. Weasley’s toned biceps or to squeeze Professor C. Weasley’s tight, little tush. “—you know.”

Ginny waved off their dorm mates’ giggles. “They’re not as bad as the fifth and sixth years. This lot at least doesn’t act on any of it.” Hermione nodded in agreement.

“So, what’s up, Ginny?”

“Well…” Ginny fumbled, toying with some thread on her sleeve. “First, I need to ask—did you know I was sneaking out on weekends because you were watching me because Ron asked you to watch me?” she barreled through with the question, scared of the answer.

Hermione, thankfully, answered diligently. “No, Ron specifically said he wasn’t asking me to watch over you because he figured you’d go crazy with having Bill and Charlie here considering how they only really remember you as a kid.”

“Awww,” Ginny relaxed, happy with her answer, “that was actually really sweet of him.”

“Yes, it was and yes, he is, which is why I need to see him this weekend. I’m too stressed with classes right now and I need your stupid brother to make me laugh and you know…” Ginny leaned forward, not understanding Hermione’s word grapple, until Hermione whispered, “…orgasm.”

“Oh!” Ginny leaned back, away from Hermione. “Well…Good for you,” she said pattering her friend’s knee.

“Was there something else, Ginny?” “Yes,” taking a breath, she continued. “Are you worried about them not being able to talk about their work when they graduate? I mean they’re only in training right now and can’t even talk about some parts.”

“Honestly?” Ginny nodded. “It’s a relief not to have to talk about dark wizards all the time. It’s like I can finally enjoy learning again because I’m using it to build something to help others someday instead of something that I need to do to prepare for the next attack,” explained Hermione as her face shone with happiness. Ginny was genuinely happy for the older girl and in that moment realized that there was no Ron or Harry here to take her away to something more important. It wasn’t the trio anymore. Ginny didn’t have to come third. They had a year to actually bond. 

Placing her palms on Hermione’s knees, she said, “I am truly happy for you, Hermione. I didn’t even think about that. I guess I just immediately hate when people can’t tell me things, especially if it’s for my protection.”

“That’s understandable. Harry knows you were hurt by us leaving last year. You’re the youngest. I was at the Burrow enough this summer to see how that could be irritating.”

“ _Right!_ And I know I need to tell him how I feel so we can be on the same page, but—” Hermione nodded encouragingly for her to continue. Ginny clasped Hermione’s hands in hers, holding them up between themselves. “Hermione,” she took a deep breath and made eye contact “I want to be a professional Quidditch player.”

Silence. Hermione waited for more. “And?” Ginny looked confused. “Ginny, I’m pretty sure that was the second sentence you said to me when we met back in your first year.”

“Oh.” They smiled. Ginny laughed in relief. “Well, with tryouts coming up, it just feels like all I want to talk about and since he can’t talk about his career, I’m worried it’s going to be me talking about myself all the time.”

Hermione gave her a look and squeezed their hands. “Ginny. Your ideal career is playing quidditch.” Ginny nodded, holding her breath for the diagnosis. “Have you ever been able to shut Harry and Ron up when they start talking about quidditch?”

Ginny snorted. “You’re right.” Feeling lighter than ever, she flung herself onto the older girl, giving her a tight hug.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Having Hermione join her on that weekend’s excursion to Grimmwauld Place turned out fantastically for everyone involved. In the weekends before, Harry and Ginny had confined themselves to one level of the flat when they weren’t out exploring muggle London, to avoid Ron. Instead, on Saturday morning the couple trudged sleepily into the flat’s kitchen unabashed, joining Ron and Hermione at the table. Ron had greeted them over his cup of coffee before turning back to his girlfriend.

Maybe her youngest brother was adulting or maybe his girlfriend was coaching him, either way, Ginny wasn’t complaining. Things had gone so well that the four had even enjoyed a double date night of sorts when they had chosen to eat in that evening.

And Harry had been wonderful. He assured her that he enjoyed talking about her future quidditch career; adding that if he wasn’t so compelled to pursue being an Auror, quidditch was his second choice. It had been a relief that he was so interested in her training plan as captain for the team too. He even showed her part of the workout regime they were using in Auror training as options.

She filed this new knowledge away to use against Malfoy later. Her team would be toned as fuck when she was done with them. She was already so pleased with what these workouts were doing for her boyfriend.

Things had been going so well. Too well. Now, a week and a half after that blissful visit, as Ginny strode through the castle corridors to her brother’s quarters, she thought of what she hadn’t done that weekend. She had not checked on George.

Today marked the second day that she had received a weird letter from George in the last week. For one, they were too short. The only jokes he had included were ones that were obviously reused. He had also briefly included things like Mum making a mention of the twins’ birthday coming up—things that would’ve bothered him in too many ways to explain in a letter.

After the first letter last week, Ginny had asked Harry to go check on George with Ron. They hadn’t responded since. The two Auror trainees were now sequestered at the Ministry for preliminary testing all week, which was why Ginny and Hermione hadn’t snuck out for a second weekend, to let them prep. Nonetheless, Ginny had received a second disturbing letter from George that morning and it had been eating at her all day.

She needed to know that her brother was okay.

With her wand, she unlocked the door to Charlie’s quarters and darted straight for the fireplace. It was a matter of life and death! She proclaimed at the ministry official through the Floo as they tried to explain to her what sequestered meant. She pushed aside the voice in her head telling her that she really shouldn’t being pulling Harry out. This had the potential to be a family emergency. And If it wasn’t, then Harry really should’ve sent an owl after visiting George.

Five minutes later, Harry’s concerned face gazed back at her. “Harry, I’m so sorry to bother you right now, but I’m worried about George. Did you or Ron go see him?”

Harry’s face seemed to go blank. “We did. We checked on him.”

Ginny waited for him to elaborate. “ _And_?”

“And Ron made sure that he’d have others checking in on him this week while we’re stuck at the Ministry.”

“Well, why would Ron do that unless he thought something was wrong? What was George like when you saw him?”

Harry shrugged. “He was making jokes. I thought that was a good sign.”

Ginny sighed. “Well, I—” she cut off when the door behind her opened and in stepped Bill. She turned back to the flames. “Thanks, Harry. Good luck and I’ll talk to you later.” She squelched the flames and sat up to face her brother.

“Ginny?” He sounded confused.

“Hey Bill! Charlie said I could use his Floo and I just needed to talk to Harry about something.” She grinned up at him, trying her best to look cute at seventeen. “What’re you up to?”

Bill sighed like he had been running. “Well, I rushed over here when the wards went off.”

“Wards? Charlie didn’t—” Bill flipped a framed photo on the nightstand toward her direction. A picture of Bill and Fleur on their wedding day. “Oh. Ooooh, I’m so sorry.” She had broken into the wrong room. “I was in such a hurry to use it…I didn’t even realize…” She took a better look at her surroundings. No dragon hide items in sight. Reaching out, she fingered a pale, lacy nightdress laying on the armchair in front of her. “This makes more sense now.”

Bill snorted. “Uh huh,” he dropped into the armchair, “so, is everything alright with Harry?”

“Yeah, I was just worried about something.” She stood up. “Sorry for scaring you. Have a nice night.” She said, giving his arm an affection squeeze before leaving the room.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The next day Bill and Charlie Weasley plopped themselves onto the Gryffindor bench where across the table sat Ginny’s best friends, Colin Creevey and Luna Lovegood.

“Professors,” Colin greeted. Luna just smiled.

“Creevey, Lovegood. I noticed Ginny was missing from class today. My brother and I just wanted to make sure she was alright,” said Bill, noting how unsurprised they looked. While it felt weird interrogating his own students, he knew something was wrong. This wasn’t like the times when Ginny had disappeared over the weekends. Ron pretty much confirmed that she was at Harry’s each weekend and that had been enough for Charlie to convince Bill to drop it. They had agreed to give her space. However, this was different because it was Wednesday. Harry and Ron were sequestered at the ministry for Auror testing all week. No reason for her to go there and she wasn’t in the infirmary.

“Of course! She was just a bit peaky today--not well enough for class, but no worries we sent her up food and she’s in good hands,” replied a beaming Colin. The siblings shared a look. They knew that if their sister was sick, she would’ve gone to Pomphrey. With Molly Weasley as their mother, each Weasley child had grown accustomed to a certain amount of coddling when they were ill. None of them would’ve chosen to brave it out in their dorms alone.

“So, she’s just upstairs then?” edged Charlie, “No one broke into my room and used the Floo?”

“I thought you said she was allowed to use yours?” Luna wondered aloud.

Charlie smiled wider and spoke quieter. “I thought that was a secret.” Colin’s head tiled, smile still cemented. “Ginny and us are like family. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“Well there’s _like_ —"

“What my brother and I wanted to ask,” interrupted Bill, “was if you knew whether she floo’d out of the castle today?”

“That would be against school rules,” Luna stated airily.

“Ginny would never,” said Colin, deadpan.

“Right, thanks,” stared Bill. “Ah, Miss Waters,” calling out the girl seated next to Colin, “you must be in my sister’s dormitory. We just wanted to make sure someone was checking on her?” 7th year Emily Waters who had clearly been straining to overhear the conversation up until then, swiveled excitedly around at hearing her name.

Smiling impishly at the two male Weasleys and scooching into Colin as if to share a secret, she whispered loudly, “Yes, she felt absolutely dreadful this morning—but not dreadful enough that she needed anything from Madam Pomphrey. And don’t even worry a bit, because like I confided to your brother,” she gestured to Charlie adoringly, “I’m studying to be a Healer and Ginny tells me absolutely everything so I assure you she is in excellent hands. I also took _extremely_ thorough notes in your class today so she’ll be all caught up. If you’re understandably still concerned, I am more than happy to stop by either of your quarters tonight to give you another update?”

Somewhere down the table a snort was heard. Bill rose, deciding it was time to leave. “There’s no need, but we thank you all for taking good care of Ginny.” With tight smiles, the brothers left the Great Hall and turned sharply into the empty corridor.

“Well, those were right little buggers, weren’t they?” muttered Charlie.

“Hmm, you’re telling me. Well, she’s not upstairs…”

“Harry’s stuck in ball-busting Auror training all week…”

“Mum’s house is definitely out…”

“There’s really only two other places left--”

“--that we know of.”

“It’s a start.”

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

“Ginny!” shouted Charlie as he pounded on George’s front door. “You in there?”

A faint scrambling of objects could be heard coming from inside before the door burst open to reveal a frantic Ginny. “ _Shhhhhhhhhhhh_ , be quiet,” she snapped. “I finally got him back asleep.”

Bill and Charlie pushed their way past their sister into the flat, accidently kicking up fallen take out containers as they did so. Charlie’s faced scrunched at the sight of the flat. “Ew,” he proclaimed. Ginny shushed him.

“Where is he?” whispered Bill. Ginny nodded toward the bedroom and Bill placed a Silencing charm on the room. “Now,” he started, turning to his sister, “what are you doing here?”

Her eyes flashed, sensing his impatience. “Taking care of _our_ brother, someone has to.”

Bill huffed. Charlie gave him a look and he deflated as he eyed the empty alcohol bottles scattered across the flat. “I know,” said Bill, “but just leaving to check on George is different than doing it plus prepping your friends to lie to us about it.” She looked away, sheepish. “You should have told us, Gin.”

“Why?” She wasn’t going to say sorry. She knew she had done the right thing here. “Neither of you would have just let me leave and it’s not like either of you could leave your classes. This is George. We can’t just choose not to take this seriously,” she bit out, slightly angry.

“We are taking this seriously, Gin,” said Charlie gently. “Ron sent a letter saying he was concerned too. Bill and I made arrangements with McGonagall so we could be here for him this weekend.”

“It’s _Wednesday_! He could’ve killed himself before the weekend! If you had seen the potions he was mixing when I walked in—it wasn’t just him playing with explosives like normal—it was as if he just didn’t care anymore what could happen to him—Look!” She gestured them over to two potions in beakers—one black, one green--on the kitchen counter, still gargling. She hadn’t even meant to stay the full day but when she had found George with these, there was no way she could leave and hope for the best. “I brought these up from downstairs because I didn’t want to just leave them there.”

They walked over hesitantly. Charlie sniffed one and held the other up to the light. Reaching into his pocket, he dropped an unknown object into both and watched as they dissolved with a sizzle. “Well—” Bang! A smoke puff burst out of one and into Bill’s onlooking face, causing the glass beaker to shatter onto the counter. Bill coughed out some debris, making a beeline for the sink. “Well, that’s not good,” mumbled Charlie.

“No, it’s not,” Ginny reiterated forcefully, determined not to cry in front of them. “He is not well. He was drunk when he was mixing them. It took me forever to sober him up enough to take a shower. I am not leaving him.” She looked pointedly to Bill who was drying his face with a kitchen towel before she charmed the plethora of unwashed dishes in the sink to begin washing itself. Then she turned away and began charming various debris around the flat to make its way into the trash bin. The brothers were silent for a moment as they watched her.

“You told Mum you were rubbish at that charm when you turned seventeen,” Charlie pointed out, nodding to the dishes.

“Yes, and if she asks again, we should all be on the same page—I suck at it.” Charlie snorted.

“How did you know?” asked Bill, gesturing to the flat.

“His last two letters didn’t sound right, and I know Mum brought up his—their—birthday a few days ago. She meant well, but that just puts more pressure on him to be alright, you know? And then Ron and Harry just seemed so uncertain after their last check-in with him…”

“They told you they were concerned?”

Ginny caught on to something in Bill’s voice. She stopped what she was doing to search his face for a moment. “Did you tell Harry to lie to me? About George?

Bill hesitated. “Not lie to you, no—just not to worry you.”

Ginny’s heart ticked a bit faster. After everything she had done for the war last year, how was this still a problem? Her body began to shake with the brewing rage that her petite frame was trying to contain. Her hands held her head trying to ease the headache that she was giving herself. “Bill, Harry is my boyfriend,” she bit out. “You, along with everyone else in this family, are not allowed to tell him to do something like that! I need to be able to rely on him!” Them turning Harry into another older brother was the last thing she needed.

“It’s just that you have your last year to focus on—”

“For the last time--I am of age!” She didn’t care that she was stomping like a child. “I choose my priorities and right now I am choosing this! So, just leave. Both of you.” Ginny stalked over to the fridge and began pulling foods out, sniffing them, and then promptly tossing them in the trash. “I’m fine.”

Charlie plopped onto the couch and inspected a sticky texture that he was feeling on the fabric. “Nah, there’s no rush. I reckon we have enough time before classes tomorrow to all have a good rest and then enjoy a nice siblingly breakfast in the morning.”

“Agreed,” said Bill as he began to dispose of the two potions on the kitchen counter. “We may as well just settle in.”

Ginny grumbled into the fridge.


	2. Pass the Quaffle Part 2

**Pass The Quaffle A.K.A Ginny, Age 17 (Part 2)**

The next morning a well-rested but not well-spirited George rose out from his bedroom to find that three of his siblings were currently invading his flat. Bill was at the stove with eggs and bacon in the works. Charlie was at the counter and, seeing him first, greeted him loudly as he poured himself coffee. His baby sister on the other hand barely spared him a glance as she bit angrily into her toast. Seeing as Ginny appeared quite put out, he felt it was safest to take a seat next to her.

"How do you still smell after yesterday?" she wondered aloud.

"I got clean, but my bed sheets didn't," he replied, swiping the other piece of toast from her plate.

"Bill, I need more toast!" she called back.

"We are not house elves," replied Bill as he and Charlie took their seats at the table. Charlie plopped a second plate down with eggs, bacon, and toast for George.

Ginny swiped a piece of his toast to make up for the one he had stolen. George picked up a piece of bacon curiously. "Where'd you get this?" he asked, eying his fridge curiously.

"From the market, you should go there," Ginny replied cheekily. George swatted her cheek with the bacon strip.

"So George! How are you!" boomed Bill.

Instead of replying, George turned back to his sister. "You brought in more babysitting reinforcements; I see."

"They're not here to babysit you, they're here to babysit me," sulked Ginny.

George's spirits seem to rise just a hair. "Well then, welcome to my flat," finally greeting to his brothers. "I'd encourage us all to catch up, but I know you'll need to drag her to class soon on this—" he looked to Ginny.

"—Thursday—"

"—Thursday morning."

"Classes start in an hour so we actually have plenty of time to talk," beamed Bill.

"Their classes start in an hour. I'm staying today and tomorrow," amended Ginny.

George looked between his siblings. Charlie kept his eyes on his food and Bill swallowed his words. Apparently, they had spent the morning arguing before he had woken up.

"Well, I have the shop today, so I can't say I'll be very entertaining," George said pointedly.

"You had the shop yesterday and that didn't stop you…" _From getting drunk? Almost killing yourself?_

"Verity had the shop yesterday."

"George," said Ginny quietly, "yesterday was Verity's day off." George's grip on his fork tightened so that his knuckles turned white.

Bill tried intervening. "You know George, I think you running the shop today is a splendid idea. Percy also mentioned that he's being pressured at work to use the sick days he's accumulated and that he's more than happy to help you out with the store. That way Ginny could—"

"Percy?" stated Ginny, unimpressed. "That's your bright idea? Do you know how that worked out when Ron suggested that Percy stop by this week? George shut the door in his face. I'm staying." While George avoided looking at his siblings he also neglected to show any remorse over this. Ginny tried something else. "Angie has been owling, asking about you. She mentioned you haven't been responding to her letters?"

Technically, she and Angelina had been owling back and forth about the upcoming Harpies tryouts and season. The older girl had just signed on to the Holyhead Harpies Reserve Team when the Quidditch League had been cancelled last year when muggleborns had begun to go missing. Within these letters, after the training tips, Angelina would always make a mention about hoping that George was doing well and implying that she had no way of knowing if it was true.

"You abandon school to babysit me, thinking that I need it, yet try to get me to take care of a whole nother person?"

"You both have pain no matter what. At least it's better to be in pain together."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

While the next two days she spent with George were largely unpleasant. The main win from her time with George was that she had gotten him to agree to talk to Angelina, as long as Ginny was there too. They agreed to do so during Ginny's upcoming winter break at the Leaky Cauldron.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Three weeks later, on the night they were meeting Angelina, Charlie sat in the family room of the Burrow with his girlfriend who he had invited over from Romania. Charlie had briefly gone back to Romania for three weeks over the summer to leave the reserve on good terms and his job in informed hands. During those weeks, he and Sabrina, a newer member of the reserve had hit it off. When he had gone back to London, they had stayed in touch through letters.

His parents, Bill, Fleur, and Harry had all retreated to their respective rooms. Ron and Hermione were out walking in the orchard. George and Ginny were meeting up with Angelina. The couple sat on the worn family sofa, seemingly alone, scrunched so close they could feel each other's heartbeats. Charlie twirled a lock of her blonde hair around his finger, sensing her impatience.

"So…do I get to see your childhood bedroom?" She ran a hand over his bicep. He smiled charmingly Everyone loved his arms and he knew it.

"Of course," he leaned in closer, planning to nibble on her earlobe at the right moment, "but I have to warn you it's just a twin bed up there."

"Oh dear," she gasped before picking herself up and plopping right atop his lap to straddle him, "but I think we can make do," she informed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Sabrina rolled her hips. Charlie's hands found her bum. Just as he was contemplating doing it on the couch, the front door burst open and in entered an angry George.

"George! Hold up!" called a voice sounding like Ginny's.

Sabrina scurried off his lap. Charlie threw a pillow over his crotch.

"I don't know why you brought us back here after that. I'm going back to my flat," grumbled George as he entered the family room, heading towards the fireplace.

"George, please!" pleaded Ginny running in behind him. "It was going so well…" George had grabbed a handful of Floo powder but paused when she cried out again. "I'm sorry but I'm not sure what the problem-"

"The problem is that she was _his_ girlfriend," George snapped.

"George, it's okay to feel whatever it is you're feeling—"

"No. It is not, Ginny. Because what the fuck would that say about me? Huh? Benefiting from my brother's _death_?" he hissed.

"He would've wanted both of you to be happy."

"Stop telling me what he would've—" he cut off abruptly to evaluate her. The air around them went cold and Charlie fingered his wand as a precaution. "Did you know?" Quiet, as he slowly moved to tower over her. He looked down on her harshly. "Did you know when you set this up?"

The dangerous tone he was using sent unease to the other occupants in the room. Charlie stood up for good measure to remind George who he was scaring.

Ginny's head craned up at her brother to speak with certainty. "No. I swear I didn't. I only noticed it while you two were interacting tonight."

In his peripheral vision, George noticed Charlie and backed off Ginny with a roll of his eyes. "Either way it doesn't matter." He picked up the Floo powder once more. "It's not happening—It's not going to happen. Because what we just did tonight is never happening again."

Ginny watched as George Floo'd back to his flat before sulking into the armchair behind her. Charlie sat back down, reluctant to look at Sabrina knowing the mood had been killed. "So, did you actually know?" he decided to ask.

"No…just suspected." She looked over at Charlie miserably. "I really didn't think it was actually true." He returned her look, however, they both knew she should've known better.

Suddenly, they heard the front door bang open again and someone called, "George! Ginny! Are you here?"

"Angie?"

Angelina Johnson ran into the family room. Her face was clearly smeared with tear tracks. "Ginny!" she exclaimed, sounding distraught. "Where's George? I need to apologize!"

"Angie, George isn't here, but you don't have anything to apologize for."

"Yes, I do," said Angelina sounding distraught. "You don't understand…We-we got close over the summer and well…He-he made it clear that we needed boundaries. I didn't respect that tonight."

Holding onto Angelina's shoulders, she tried to reason. "Angie, no. It was my fault. I pushed him, not you." Ginny felt useless. This clearly wasn't making the other witch feel any better. "Want to go back to the pub and talk about it over drinks?" Angelina nodded.

The front door banged open again and a tear-stricken Hermione stormed in this time, stopping when she saw the other witches. "Angelina?"

"Hermione, um…" Ginny sounded uncertain at the girl's appearance, "we were just going to the pub."

The front door opened again for Ron to stumble through it. "Hermione! I'm sorry! You know I didn't mean that!"

"Forget it, Ron," Hermione bit out at him. "You can bugger yourself tonight, I'm going out to the pub with Ginny and Angelina." Then to the girls, she declared, "Let's go!" And they did.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

A few hours later, after safely seeing Angelina home, Ginny was tucking Hermione into bed. Ginny sunk into her own bed. She sighed. Ron and Hermione sleeping in their respective beds meant no one was getting any tonight.

At least her relationship was going strong, she told herself.

She let herself remember her first day of winter break two nights ago when they had confronted the nagging feeling she had been having about their relationship. That first day back at the Burrow, Ginny had been able to sit the four of them down—her, Harry, Ron, and Hermione—to bring up the notion of her and Ron switching rooms at night so they could further enjoy their break as couples.

The four had unanimously agreed pretty quickly and so Ginny had found herself crawling into Harry's twin bed that night after him. While she had been happy to be there with him, she couldn't help but feel unease as she lay there with her back to him over the fact that he hadn't shared his concern of George with her when she needed it most.

He started. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about George." This wasn't the first time he had apologized. He had sent a letter right after getting free from his Ministry sequester when he heard she had gone to her brother's flat. "I regretted not telling you the moment you asked me. I don't want to feel like that again."

"I know," she whispered back. "Sorry I've been acting weird. It just really bothered me."

"It won't happen again." He pressed his lips on her shoulder. "I want to be the person you can trust." His hands trailed along her torso. It had been so long since they had been together… "Could I try and make it up to you?"

Her lips quirked up. She looked back at him. "And how would you do that?"

"Well, first you would need to take off your cloths."

Ginny let out a fake exasperated sigh. " _Alright_ ," she said, pulling off her shirt and pants. When he didn't move to do the same, her hands went to the buttons on his shirt. He lightly pulled her off.

Shaking his head, he said boyishly, "I want to try something else tonight." Ginny didn't know what she was seeing in Harry's eyes in that moment, but it was _thrilling_. "Do you trust me?" he asked.

She had to smile at how wicked his expression was. "Yes, and okay." She sat staring back at him for a bit. He was laying on his side with his face propped up by an arm. It dawned on her that he was waiting. _Oh_ , she realized. She sent him another odd look before stripping off her bra and panties, tossing them to she-didn't-care and leaned back on her elbows expectantly.

Grinning, he gestured for her to get in the same position she had been in earlier, her back to his front, which she found weird. " _Here we go!_ " he exclaimed like a conductor before gathering her up and flipping them so that he lay flat on the bed with her flat on top of him. He wiggled his bent knees in between her legs, spreading her legs as he spread his. She gasped as the cool air hit the center of her legs.

Harry hummed happily below her, keeping her legs open and her hands down at their sides. Before she could start squirming, he tickled her sides and she broke into peals of laughter.

When she could take no more, Harry folded he arms on top of her torso so she could catch her breath. She was so focused on her breath that she didn't notice Harry's hand inch down to her clit. _Gasp_. She bolted up on reflex.

Harry gently puller her back to his chest. "Just relax," he murmured in her ear, "like I said I wanted to _try_ something." It wasn't that he had touched her there. By now in their relationship, he was more than welcome to tickle her clit. It was the position they were in. She felt oddly vulnerable being completely naked and sprawled out on top of the fully clothed man-boy beneath her. "This is me starting to make it up to you and well…do you remember a couple of week ago when we talked over Floo? You said something about being worried that your brothers were trying to turn me into another overprotective brother?"

Groan. "Why are we talking about my family right now?"

"It's just that I also wanted to do something that showed you how uninterested I am in being another one of your brothers." _Aww_.

" _Oh_ ," Ginny craned her neck to look back at him, grinning, "well, go on then." She settled back down against him, willing her legs to go limp, and gripped his biceps readying for the ride ahead.

Then he ruined it though when he picked her hands up and placed them back at their sides. "So, there are rules to this," he giddily informed her. "You cannot touch me or yourself. If you can go a full five minutes of this without touching me then I'll replace my hand down there…" he waited for dramatic effect, "with my mouth."

"And if I touch myself?"

She felt his smile widen against her neck. His voice dropped. "Then you still get my mouth, but I'll take the Silencing charm off this room, so you'll have to control yourself…"

Ginny scoffed. "You wouldn't dare. Remember where we are? You'd end up dead and useless to me."

"Luv, I'm the Boy-Who-Lived-Twice, a proven invincible. I'll take my chances, but I don't think you'd want to take yours."

"I'm gonna have to knock you down a peg with all of this hero nonsense."

"Lost cause. But you can try later. Right now, we're focusing on _you_ ," he sent one hand down to cup her between her thighs, applying pressure, " _so?_ " Her eyes fell shut.

"Deal," Ginny squeaked out, gripping the sheets.

"Excellent," he breathed before that same hand began to massage her clit while the other found her breast. A nip. Sucking. A tweak. Ten seconds in and his tongue teasing her ear caused the first full shiver to roll through her body.

"Are you too cold?" he asked, stopping. It was winter after all.

" _No_ -Harry, I am _plenty_ warm. Just keep going." And he did.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

That memory of the other night formed a heat deep within Ginny's abdomen which spurred shivers throughout her body. Closing her eyes, she cleared her mind in order to finish tucking in Hermione. She set some Pepper Up potion on the older girl's nightstand, then crawled into her empty bunk.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Four days later, on Christmas Eve morning, Ginny snuck out of Harry's room to switch back with Ron. She softly walked down the steps and was nearly right in front of her door when Charlie came clambering up into her. He stopped in front of her, visibly noting that she had been coming down the stairs _towards_ her room.

"What are you doing up so early?" she sputtered out before he could talk.

Lifting an eyebrow at her he replied, "I was seeing Sabrina off. She had an early apparition time this morning back to Romania."

Sabrina in Ginny's eyes: the girl Charlie had invited over for the first half of the break. Charlie always brought home new girlfriends. Their mum at first hadn't minded because she had assumed it meant he'd fine the one faster and be married by now. Nope. If anyone in the house had been stupid enough to take it, Ginny would've bet that she would never see Sabrina again.

"What are _you_ doing up so early?"

Ginny paused. "The loo. I had to go to the loo." _Damn it!_ That had always been a perfectly logical explanation but she had ruined it by looking abashed in the first place. Amateur mistake.

Although, in the end it didn't really matter because between her and Charlie, the door to her and Hermione's room opened to reveal a groggy, hair-matted-upwards Ron. Ron looked between his siblings before it dawned on him what was wrong with this picture.

Instead of begging, Ginny shot Charlie a hard expression. "Whatever. When you were my age, you had sex on the kitchen counter over winter break."

Ron's face scrunched up. "Ew, by our food?"

"How do you know that?"

"I was seven. I heard a noise. I thought it was Saint Nicholas." With that, Ginny pushed past Ron into her room, shutting the door behind her.

She had been planning to take another rest in her bed but caught sight of two figures leaving the Burrow out her window. She moved closer to see who it was and—no—it couldn't be. Dressing quickly, she threw on one of her knit jumpers and a pair of jeans before running downstairs.

Ron and Charlie had apparently decided they were too awake to go back to sleep because she found them at the dining table with Bill and George, mugs of coffee between them. Without stopping to say good morning, she slid in next to George.

He had already been smiling before she came into the room and his face had a healthy glow for once so she didn't hold back. "George! Was that _Angie_ leaving just now?" she exclaimed, tapping his shoulder incessantly.

"Well—"

"Don't deny it! I saw it! I saw her!" she declared, still tapping.

"I—"

"Was that a kiss? Did she stay over last night?" Her tapping had turned into full out slapping with enthusiasm. George just grinned over the rim of his coffee mug and Ginny squealed, bouncing in her seat.

"Merlin, Ginny," said Ron. "If you didn't have Harry one would reckon you were living through us after all the pushing together you did with me and Hermione the other day."

Ginny stopped bouncing and looked over at Ron like the dumb-arse he was. "That was for me, Ron, because when you're rubbish at your relationship it hurts my relationship." _Because I don't get to sleep with my boyfriend_ , was what she hoped he heard.

George eyed each of his siblings and seemed to come to a revelation. "Brothers, sis, did all of us get some last night?" A slow smile took over his face. "I reckon _he's_ pretty proud of us right now." Yes, progress had definitely been made last night if George believed Fred was looking down at them proudly for having sex; especially if that sex was with his former girlfriend.

"What do you mean all of us?" asked Bill, trying not to point out the youngest two at the table, but failing.

Charlie nudged Bill, then pointed back and forth between Ron and Ginny. "Those two have been switching rooms each night."

Bill stared down at his younger brother disapprovingly. " _Ron_."

Ron just shrugged. "It's Harry. At least he's loads better than Dean or Michael."

Bill made a weird throat noise. "You mean _Thomas_ and _Coroner_?" Ron nodded. Charlie groaned.

"Did I not tell you?" Ginny wondered, innocently as Bill appeared to be racking his brain to recall his interactions with those two students.

Charlie bent his head down to pinch his noise, frowning. "I would've preferred to know in advance," he muttered, glaring at her. "A few weeks ago, I gave Thomas a fucking high-five for something he said in class."

"Awww," she crooned.

"Shup up."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

A few short hours later, Ginny found herself in muggle London, continuing to knock on the door in front of her. " _Percy!_ It's your sister. Open the door."

She had been knocking for so long that the sound of the lock coming undone started her. When the door finally opened, Ginny was greeted with the sight of an unmade Percy. Christmas Eve brunch had started an hour ago and he was in his pajamas. His Floo was disconnected and he had not seemed too intent on an answering the door just now.

After three Christmases without Percy, this was the year they were supposed to get him back. Their mother had prepared for it and when his favorite snacks began to get cold, the siblings had to watch their mother struggle to accept that her household would be incomplete again. Ginny wasn't about to let that happen.

They would already be missing Fred from the table tonight. Another missing son was not acceptable.

Bill and Charlie had volunteered to find him themselves, but she shot them down. Ginny knew Percy looked up to his two older brothers and their disapproval was not what he needed. She figured that being the baby sister was useful in this situation. No one looked up to her. They didn't care if she knew their business. She could be the confidant.

"Ginny. Merry Christmas," he nodded to her, resolutely, "…but it's no use. You should turn back now."

She rolled her eyes and barreled through him into the flat. "Get some cloths on—wait—" she sniffed the air, "take a shower first, then dress." She settled into his couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table. At least his flat looked livable compared to George's, she noted.

"Ginevra, I am not going," he stated firmly, "I've decided—"

"Shower, dress, and then we'll talk."

"I said—"

" _Shower, dress, and then we'll talk!_ " Percy huffed. Ginny folder her arms to put up a front. "I didn't say we were leaving, I just said we'll talk. Perce, I stopped the others from coming over and dragging you out, so you owe me that."

Sighing, he adjusted his glasses, then nodded. "I guess I was going to take a shower anyway." He attempted to smooth the rumpled mess on his head, nervously. "Would you like some tea or coffee while you wait?"

"No thanks. I'll wait till when we talk."

Half an hour later, the siblings sat at Percy's tiny dining table sipping freshly brewed tea. Percy had cleaned up and was now wearing a wrinkle-free button-down shirt and pants. He also wasn't meeting her eye.

"So," she started, getting right to it, "Mum told us you were coming today."

"I decided it wouldn't be best."

"For who?"

"For the family."

"Well, I've just come from _the family_ and I'm here to tell you that that _the family_ definitely wants you there."

Ginny watched his fingers shake as they trailed the rim of his mug. "Ginny," he whispered, "if h- _he_ can't be there today, I shouldn't be either."

"There is a big difference, Perce," her voice croaked as she felt the tears starting to surface. "It is physically impossible for him to be there. You are capable of it."

Percy shook his head, miserably. "It would just ruin the day for George. He doesn't need that."

"Well, George is being unfair to you— _yes he is!_ " she reiterated forcefully, when Percy tried to defend his younger brother. "George needs to mourn but he is not allowed to do it at your expense. Besides," she reached out and gripped his knees, "George had a… _happy_ night last night. He's in a good mood and I already told him that if he takes a poke at you, I'd mess with the thing that's making him happy right now."

" _No_ —Ginny," he seemed pained, "I don't want you to do that for me."

"Well then, you better get your arse to the Burrow because if all of us aren't happily enjoying our holiday together, today and tomorrow, I have to do something."

Percy fidgeted in his seat, hunching into himself. "I thought we were doing _so_ well," he tried to explain, "but you-you didn't see his face that day Ron told me to check on him. He-he _hates_ me, Gin…"

"He just has a lot of pain right now and doesn't know what to do with it." The siblings sniffled together. Percy pulled out tissues to share. "You need to forget about George right now," she stated after blowing her nose, "and think about Fred. He's," she gulped, "gone…and now the only way we can honor him is by living a good life; and he would definitely not let there be two missing seats at dinner for Mum to look at if he could help it. So, do it for Fred.

Percy took a tissue to his nose and blew. He set aside his glasses to wipe his eyes. Patting her hand that gripped his knee, he nodded his agreement.

Christmas that year at the Burrow had been as best as to be expected without Fred. Percy came back with her and his earlier absent at brunch had been forgotten. Their mum stuffed him up with his favorites. George avoided speaking to Percy but at least he didn't make him anymore uncomfortable.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

One month later, Ginny was back at Hogwarts, training like her life depended on it. She now had less than three months before one house would win the Quidditch cup and less than four months before official tryouts for the Holyhead Harpies would take place.

Charlie had been a great training partner at first but waking up early in the morning, every morning, to through the quaffle with her had apparently lost its novelty with him. Today, he had wanted to sleep in.

She flew circles around the pitch, knowing that she had been abandoned. She paused mid-maneuver when she saw a blonde with a broom strut onto the pitch below her. She was aching for another person's presence and their last encounter hadn't been so bad, so she flew down to hover next to him.

"Before you ask, no, I do not have the pitched booked right now. Though I highly doubt you do either."

"Well then," said Malfoy, not at all perturbed. "I suppose we'll have to share."

This surprised her. There hadn't been a single dominating word in that sentence. "Do Malfoys even know how to do that?"

He took it in stride. "For appearances sake, I must say no. However, we are quite good at leveraging other's needs to fulfill our needs," he stated with a faint smile.

"Sounds evil. What's you plan here, Malfoy?" She surprised herself with the playfulness in her tone. He was speaking

"What team do you plan on trying out for, Weasley?" _Weasley?_ She had this distinct memory that he had called her Ginny a few months ago and it hadn't hit her until after that he had done it. She wanted to hear him say her name again to make sure she hadn't imagined it.

"I have no plans on trying out for a professional team at this time." A line she had rehearsed for her family and friends.

"Rubbish." That was such a Ron word for him to say, she thought, yet he was able to make it sound so posh. "You're out here nearly everyday outside your usual practice hours. Either you're trying out or you're incredibly scared of loosing the cup to Slytherin this year, so fess up to one."

She quirked up an eyebrow, impressed. She had not expected him to look too far into her anal-retentive training habits. "Alright, the Holyhead Harpies."

Draco nodded. "Good choice. Mine is the Falmouth Falcons."

Now she was intrigued. " _You_ are pursuing a career as a professional quidditch player?"

"Try not to sound too surprised. I know for a fact you've been making your seeker put in extra time to prep them for when they go up against me." He looked far to smug considering her seeker was new to the sport.

"Oh, that had nothing to do with your ability. It's just I always assumed you'd go into something more—" _Death eater like?_ "—like business…considering your family's estate."

"Well, with that thinking if I were to look at your family's estate, I'd assume you would be more interested in settling down in some cozy abode and conceiving as many children as your body can allow," he retorted.

She winced but remembered her near death eater slip up. He had taken her falter with stride and without snide. She could do the same.

"Point taken," she conceded. "It looks like we're aiming to end up on rival quidditch teams. So, I'll ask again—what's your plan here?"

"My plan is to take advantage of the fact that you seem partner-less in your extra practices. I find myself without a partner as well. I'd be willing to switch between keeper and fellow chaser to help you practice, as long as we also do a few rounds of catch-the-snitch."

Ginny double-checked his proposal, pleasantly surprised, before accepting. "That sounds doable."

"Excellent." Draco mounted his broom. "I must admit I was excited to find you alone today."

"Not that that doesn't sound creepy, but I usually practice with my brother Charlie." Then, as an afterthought added, "He has abandoned me."

"Pity," his lips pouted with fake sorrow, "need a hanky?"

"Shut up and get in the air. You'll play keeper. Do try to keep the quaffle out of the hoops."

And so, Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy participated in an extracurricular quidditch practice, together, to build each other up. Draco proved to be a better keeper than chaser. Quaffles were simply not the balls he was used to. Not that Ginny was any better at playing seeker. She struggled to stay sharp looking for the snitch when there were no immediate stimuli to keep her adrenaline up.

Nonetheless, their general athletic skill was enough to keep any of the scenarios challenging enough. After loosing the snitch for a third time to Malfoy, Ginny felt sated in her practice goals. She hopped off her broom to lay on the grass in the center of the pitch. Draco landed next to her.

"Tired of losing?"

"Thank you, Weasley, for challenging me when no one else would play with me," she mocked, hands under her head, staring up at him. "You're welcome, Malfoy."

To her immense surprise, Draco took a seat next to her on the grass. The fact that Draco Malfoy just took a seat in the dirt willingly set alarm bells off in her head. Maybe he wasn't familiar with grass stains?

"So, is Potter going to come see how his investment," he toed her Firebolt that lay by her side, "paid off?"

"How did you know it's from Harry?"

"Like you or your family could afford that broom," he stated without any venom so she didn't feel the need to punch him. "It's a good thing he did. Had you gone back on the pitch this year with your Cleansweep I would've felt the need to buy it for you. At least so that I'd have a challenge."

"Don't worry your head too badly, we're actually pretty well off these days," said a new voice said behind them. Ginny sat up to find Charlie peering down at him.

While her brother didn't show it, she knew the comment about her family's finances had ruffled, like it would any of her brothers. And her, normally. However, he was also right. All her brothers were excelling in their respective careers. The real question, then, was why hadn't _they_ bought her the broom? _Because they don't believe you're going to make it as a professional Quidditch player_ , the snooty voice in her head said.

"So, what's this now?" Charlie asked eying Malfoy indifferently. Ginny shot him a warning look, which he ignored. "Have you replaced me as your training partner?"

Draco stood up which made her stand up which irritated her because her brothers were not people that needed to be respectfully stood up for. "I was merely filling in, in your absence," Malfoy said politely. "But since you're here now, I should go get ready for class."

Ginny was glum to find not a single shard of grass or speck of dirt sticking to his robes when he rose. The posh bastard had even his quidditch robes charmed to withstand dirt.

Before she could gather herself enough to yell 'seriously?" at his back, he was gone. Instead, she turned to her brother. "Seriously?" Then laid back down on the grass, arms folded, like a child because she could. "You and Bill said you'd let me just live my last year without any spying…"

Charlie sat down next to her, reclining back on his forearms. "That is where I am teaching a class in half an hour," he said, pointing to the creature enclosures set next to Hagrid's hut a short distance in front of them. "Kid, if you want to have a secret relationship then you need to put some effort into hiding it."

"I do not have a secret relationship with Malfoy. I'm perfectly happy with Harry."

"Does Malfoy know that?" Ginny sent him a look and he just tugged on her ponytail like he had when they were children. "You didn't see him eying your bum up there."

"He was not." Yes, had she noticed him looking at her bum but that was to be expected; she had a very nice bum.

"I'm just saying you need to clarify things for guys or they might get ideas." A group of three sixth-year girls passed the pitch walking towards the creature enclosures. They waved at Charlie as they went and he waved back absentmindedly. They weren't wearing their sweaters, just their white button downs which appeared to be a bit more buttoned down considering the cool weather. Ginny sensed the group was sending her some irritated vibes as they glanced at her to their favorite professor. "I don't know why they're always so early," he muttered to himself.

Ginny looked at him like he was stupid. "They're here early to drool over _your_ bum, you moron." She huffed under her breath. "And you're telling me to clarify things."

"You have a boyfriend," he pointed out, not missing a beat after a mention of his sex appeal.

"You have a girlfriend _and_ you're their professor." Charlie's face scrunched slightly with confusion. "Sabrina," she supplied.

"Oh," said Charlie as if just remembering Sabrina. "Either way, my job title works as an unspoken rejection." Ginny wasn't too sure as she watched the group of sixth years watch her and her brother, probably debating on whether to join them. If she and Charlie sat there long enough, Ginny wondered if they'd start daring each other to come over.

"Why aren't you wearing your bracelet?" Charlie asked suddenly noticing her bare wrist.

He was talking about the bracelet that Bill had her pick out during their family vacation to Egypt, right after Tom Riddle's diary happened. It was a thin leather strap with a single bead in the center. Bill had enchanted it so that it would work as a locational device if she were ever in mortal peril. He had taught her how to activate it wandlessly that summer. Once activated it would cause Bill's fang earring and Charlie's back dragon tattoo to flare up, allowing them to apparate directly to her.

"I have it, it's upstairs somewhere by my bed."

"Right, because it's real helpful upstairs," Charlie said sarcastically.

That irritated her. It sounded like a stupid move, but Ginny Weasley did not do stupid things without good reason. "Honestly?" She defended herself, "last year there were too many times that I was tempted to use it. But no good would have come from me summoning you two to Hogwarts like that. So, I stopped wearing it. I didn't want to accidently activate it out of… _pain_ or frustration."

Charlie deflated, though he seemed unhappy with her conclusion. They were supposed to have been her go to no matter what. "Well, the war's over but we didn't get everyone locked up, you know that. The world with always be a dangerous place—especially if you're going to choose to spend more time around shady people like Malfoy, you better get used to wearing it again."

She rolled her eyes again. "Malfoy isn't shady people."

"Our brother's words, not mine. I don't really care. Just wear the damn bracelet or pick out a tattoo that you want so we can enchant that instead."

Ginny suddenly smiled up to her brother. "Any tattoo that I want?"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After Gryffindor's quidditch win over Ravenclaw, Ginny sat in the girls' lavatory contemplating her newfound friendship with Malfoy. They had certainly helped each train these past few weeks outside of their regular team practice hours. He was always willing to meet her and she didn't question it because he seemed to get as much out of their practices as her.

Not once had she felt insulted by him these past few weeks. Their words were joking now. Sure, he'd occasionally point out her red hair, her big family, and her hand-me-downs but it was all in good humor. She could always shoot back something about his anal-retentive appearance or his posh vocabulary.

Then she heard a group enter the loo, whispering beyond her stall.

"…another love potion, really?"

"Not love, lust. As in a one-time fucking fantastic experience with no negative consequences because you know they'd be too ashamed afterwards." _Was that Emily? Emily Waters who had been her dorm make for the past seven years?_

"Defense or…"

"Dragon tamer for sure. No wife to deal with later and have you _seen_ him? "

Ginny felt sick. It was less what they were saying and more of who was saying it. If her voice-matching skills were correct then she was having trouble figuring out how to proceed.

"If he's used to wrestling dragons then just imagine what those hands would feel like during sex…" What sounded like three girls erupted into giggles. _Had that last voice been Susan? Susan Bones who I have comforted who-knows-how-many-times when she cried?_

That was it. Wand out, she opened her stall door and leaned against the frame. The three conspirators spun towards her at the sound. The third girl was revealed to be Hannah Abbott. _Another person who has less-than-no-right to go against this Weasley!_

"Ginny?" said Susan as if testing the waters. Emily's hand hovered near her wand and Ginny's flinched upwards towards the other girl. The two had always been good dueling partners in class. Yes, Emily had always made rude gestures towards Bill behind her brother's back, but Ginny thought it had always been her friend using it as a ploy to irritate _her_.

She eyed them with what she hoped was disdain instead of the sinking feeling that made her want to cry. These were her supposed _friends_ for Merlin's sake.

"Have you three completely forgotten about loyalty?" she couldn't help but ask.

A part of her was proud to see that Susan and Hannah were getting a bit scared. _Damn straight_. Last year, when all hope was being threatened, Ginny Weasley ran this school—along with Neville and Luna, of course. Yes, she had been punished greatly for her actions, but she was the outspoken symbol for the rest of the student body. She had organized, protected, and chosen her battles.

Ginny Weasley was a force. _So why did she feel like she had to keep proving it?_

Hannah tried to explain. "Ginny, you know we love you but—"

"We can't all have everything you have, Ginny," Emily cut in. "The perfect boyfriend, the big perfect war hero family, athletic skill—"

"—the looks, the smarts, the popularity—" added Susan.

"—some of us just have to take what we want," finished Emily. "And I want this. I'm just sorry it has to be your brother."

Ginny couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had worked her arse off for most of the things they had just listed. "Do you _hear_ yourselves?"

"It's a lust potion. I'm not forcing him to do anything, it would just cause him to lose any…inhibitions he may have toward me," reasoned Emily, as if Ginny were the one being unreasonable.

"Emily, I know you're an only child so let me teach you something about big families," Ginny grinded out, irate. "If anyone had the nerve to slip me love or lust potion, my brothers would _murder_ them. Each. In their own unique way. It's only fair I do the same for them."

"Is that a threat, Gin?"

"Just hand over the potion, _Em_."

Emily and Ginny both had their wands raised at each other know. When Susan made for her wand and Ginny flinched toward the movement, Emily shot out a disarming spell. Ginny blocked it and shot back a stunner. Emily blocked. Susan and Hannah were in the game now too as Ginny felt a few more spells hit her shield. She blocked them all and ducked back into her stall right before shooting a _reducto_ at their feet just to shake the ground beneath them.

It was powerful enough to cause the three to stumble but it also caused the pipes underneath the sinks to burst, flooding the floor and the girls with water.

Ginny jumped onto the toilet just before Emily shot a stunner at her feet from her position that she had fallen to on the floor. It missed Ginny and hit the pipe next to her, causing it to rupture and spray Ginny mercilessly.

As the lavatory began to flood, Susan and Hannah scurried out, pulling each other up as they slipped. Emily followed, keeping her wand trained on Ginny and Ginny followed with her wand trained on Emily. Stopping where Emily had stood earlier, Ginny swooped down to pick up the vial of lust potion that had slipped from Emily's robes. Seeing Ginny with it, Emily tried accio'ing it back. Ginny blocked it, keeping her shield out till she was clear of the flooding room.

Now out in the corridor, both girls kept their wands trained on each other.

Fuming, Emily bit out the following: " _Ginny_. Give. It. Back. Now."

Ginny let out a manic laugh. " _Emily._ No. Way. In. Hell."

"What is going on here?"

Ginny, Emily, Susan, and Hannah all turned at the sound of the male voice, where Professor Bill Weasley stood staring back at them. They lowered their wands.

Emily's face brightened, though she laughed nervously knowing what was in Ginny's pocket. "Hello Professor."

Ginny could feel her brother's eyes on her, prodding her to speak. She kept her eyes on the water dripping from the ends of Susan's robes.

"Why are all of you drenched?" Bill asked.

"A plumbing issue in the girls' lavatory—the pipe just burst!" lied Emily. Hannah nodded along with the story.

Bill knew it was a lie. There was no doubt he had heard their words coming out of the lavatory, but Ginny felt his hesitation to take a disciplinary stance. He wanted to know what was going on from her. She may have just had a crappy experience with three of her semi-friends but at least she knew that no matter what job Bill took, she would always come first as his sister.

This was ridiculous, she realized. And Ginny Weasley did not do stupid things [ _anymore_ ].

She was not about to revert back to being the baby sister that needed to reprimanded anytime soon.

Hands on her waist, she raised herself up to meet her brother's face squarely. "Nothing happened. They're going to go back to their dorms and I'm going to clean up the loo." She had made up her mind about something and Bill knew better than to question her right now. He nodded but no one moved.

" _Ginny_ ," Susan whispered sadly. There was a lot going on in Susan's face. In that moment, the two understood each other. They had been through so much together last year that this was a truly belittling crevice in their relationship.

Ginny hadn't expected herself to say anything else on the subject, but it was too late—she was remembering.

"Hannah," she spoke blandly, "when you felt—" Exposed? Assaulted? Degraded? "— _violated_ , I filled in for you. I listened to Carrow and the seventh years for two hours as they went through my memories." _They mind-fucked me_ , Ginny remembered. Every fear, every intimate moment of her life had been tugged at, exposed, and abused. They had drained her to a point of confusion that scared her more than being possessed by Tom Riddle's diary had. _I thought I was going to go insane that night_ , Ginny wanted to say.

Though, by the way Hannah was looking at her, just like she had looked at her after that dreaded detention, Ginny figured the girl already knew.

Next. "Emily, when you got caught graffitiing the DADA classroom—even though I had told you not to—I took the fall because everyone knew the Carrows were nearly at their breaking point with you. I took an Unforgivable for you." Emily bowed her head shamefully. "Susan—" Ginny throat squeezed shut; she couldn't push out the words. A tiny sob bubbled up instead. _We watched a child die_ , Ginny tried to say. Susan gently mouthed the words 'I know' instead, and that was enough.

Ginny took a deep breath and stood tall. "You three owe me at least one favor." _So, forget about love and lust potions_ , was what they heard. "Nothing happened here tonight. Go back to your dorms."

When the three had left, Bill waved a drying charm her way. "Thanks," she said, "can you help me clean up the loo?" She walked back toward the lavatory, knowing he would follow.

Inside, Ginny used her wand to begin sopping up the water while Bill went to work repairing the pipes. Something washed over her as she watched the last puddles get sucked up. Water droplets fell onto the floor beneath her and it took her a moment to realize they were her tears.

She jumped when something touched her shoulder. Bill was suddenly there with her and the concern etched in his face just made the tears fall faster. "Ginny? What's wrong?"

Ginny leaned against the wall behind her and sunk to the floor. Bill crouched down with her. "Nothing. Nothing, I-I just realized nothing is wrong because we were just fighting over something so stupid. We would never have done that last year. We couldn't afford to do stupid things last year, just fight and survive. We've come so far but—"

"It doesn't feel like it?" he finished for her. She nodded. "Well, I'm guessing it's time to slow down."

Her eyes flashed and she pulled back from Bill. "It's not like I couldn't handle the war, there was just-just a lot that happened last year."

"I'm serious, sprite. I'm looking at these third through sixth-years and they're all way beyond their level of coursework. When I ask them where they learned a certain spell or how they mastered it, it's almost always either Harry, Longbottom, or you that taught them."

Ginny sniffled and dismissed Bill's compliment. "Harry did most of it, we just kept it going when he left."

Bill shook his head. "Harry may have started something before he left but you're the one that turned it into something so much more when people needed it the most. These kids look up to you." She felt odd receiving praise from one of her brothers. "From what Charlie and I can tell, you took a lot of their detentions too," said Bill.

Ginny shrugged. "There was a group of us that did it for the younger kids. Eleven-year-olds shouldn't know what an Unforgivable feels like. Even Susan did for a bit, but then she had one particularly terrible detention and…it was too much."

"That's a lot to take on, Gin, for anyone," he stated gently as she rested her head on his shoulder. "When George was struggling you told him he needed to talk to someone. If not us, then Angie." He clasped her hand in his. "Well, I reckon it's time you talk to someone too," he urged. She knew he was right.

And so, Ginny let in the memories. Silent tears turned into violent sobs attacking her body. She clutched onto Bill and Bill held on, keeping her grounded. She remembered the fear that she had lived in last year, the anger that had fueled her for so long, and she realized that she was tired. Tired, of living on adrenaline, believing that if she weren't working to hold up the people around her, they'd collapse.

Ginny wasn't sure how long they had been sitting there when her sobs quieted. Bill picked her off the tiled floor and guided her through the corridors to Charlie's room. She understood. He didn't want her to be alone that night, but she couldn't very well bunk with him if Fleur was there too.

Charlie wordlessly accepted them. Ginny tried hard not to look at him, knowing that if she did, she'd just start crying again. She let Bill sit her down on Charlie's bed and was limp when he took off her shoes. He undid the ponytail in her hair and unclasped her robes that hung over her school uniform, folding them over the armchair besides the bed. Before he left, Bill tucked her in, kissed her brow, and whispered that he'd be back in the morning.

It wasn't much long after that the lights turned out and Charlie slipped into the bed beside her. This was the first time since the summer after Tom Riddle's diary that she was bunking with one of her brothers. Meaning that it was also the first time since then that she had fallen and was letting them pick her up to heal the bruises.

Ginny fell asleep knowing, for sure, that this was the first time since before the war had begun, that she felt safe.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The next morning, Bill brought up breakfast for the three of them. They ate quietly and she listened to them discuss their classes. When everyone was full, Ginny leaned back into the couch and Bill reminded her about opening up.

She was ready. She remembered that the weight of Tom Riddle's diary hadn't begun to lift from her until she had spoken up about to the two men in front of her. Bill moved to sit on her left on the couch while Charlie sat on her right. Leaning against Charlie with her feet on Bill's lap, she told them how scared she had been last year, not just for herself but for all the younger students that needed protecting.

She told them how being a Weasley made her a target for the Carrows and how she and her friends reorganized the DA to resist them. She told them how crudely DA members would be punished for speaking up or acting out. That when one second year who had been inspired by the DA's actions tried to launch his own resistance, she and Susan Bones had watched him die from his violent punishment. How looking at the tiny boy's body shook her when she learned how far they were willing to go.

When she got to the detention that she took for Hannah, she struggled to convey the hold that that experience still had on her. She told them Amycus had 'hosted' it and three male seventh-year Slytherins had been invited to join. She felt Charlie's hand tense as it rubbed her back.

She told them that Amycus announced that she was there to be used as practice for Legitimacy. She had been able to resist the first couple attempts but it wasn't long until they tossed an Unforgivable at her to loosen her mental barrier.

After nearly everyone had had a turn practicing the spell on her, invading her mind, one boy, Theodore Nott, had the idea to search for her nightmares—her deepest darkest fears. And when he found it, he stayed to watch it play out. For her, it was like she was living it, unable to tell what was real and trapped within it until the spell caster decided when it was time to leave.

Nott didn't leave until she had felt like she wanted to die.

When he had finally released her, Amycus curiously inquired what he had done to break her. he lay gasping on the dungeon floor, confused about her awareness to reality. Amycus curiously inquired what Nott had done to break her. Nightmares became the next practice lesson.

That night she lived everyone's death, meandered through a world where Voldermort won the war, and woke up from one of her worst nightmares to a seemingly ordinary day, only to fine Tom Riddle brewing within her, processing her once more to win the war by having her kill the people she loved the most.

That night she felt loss so raw that it felt—she felt—

"—like nothing. Like there was nothing left. I spent so much time in the nightmares that I couldn't tell where I was when they brought me back or if anything that had happened in them were real. I thought that they had taken everything," she whispered. "But then Nott had another idea. He pulled me into his mind this time and there he was…touching me and taking off my cloths. It felt so real. I still can't tell if they actually touched me…At one point I think two of them tried casting the spell over me at the same time or one tried while I was already under Nott's—I'm not sure—but suddenly it was like my mind was being ripped in two and it was too much—I blacked out…When I woke up, they were gone…my clothes were on— _but_ ," her voice cracked.

She had never said this next part out loud. Part of her was embarrassed to be saying to her brothers.

Charlie wrapped an arm around her shoulders and Bill leaned in to wipe away her tears.

"But?" Charlie murmured into her hair.

"When Harry and I first got together this summer…" her voice was barely above a whisper now, "it didn't—it didn't feel like my f-first time."

She shuddered after finally lifting that burden. Finally, someone other than her knew her fear. Charlie's arm tightened and she let herself burrow into his body, gripping the arms that held her. Bill held tissue up to her nose and she blew.

They stayed like that for a bit. The two men whispered words of encouragement, telling her how proud they were of her as she came to terms with what had happened to her a year ago.

The vulnerability of telling her story aside, it felt pretty great in Charlie's arms. Ginny wondered if she had been to quick to judge the love and lust potion fanatics. Maybe they did look at her brothers and know what they were missing.

"Ginny?" Bill prodded when the unexpected laughter spirted out of her.

"It's nothing—I just thought of something random," she assured them.

"Gin love, you said that they were seventh years?" asked Charlie.

"Yeah"

"So, none of them are here anymore, right?" He wanted to make sure.

Ginny shook her head. "No, none of them came back this year."

"Was Malfoy one of them?"

Ginny was about to shake her head but paused, terrified. She certainly did not remember him there that night. However, that led her to try and recall any memory of him. The fact that _she had no memory of him last year_ hit her like a punch to the gut. Not one. Not even a sighting.

She knew that Draco had been a student last year. Everyone had asked why he had come back this year instead of studying remotely to finish his N.E.W.T.S. She had heard her friends ask how he had the gall after basically being the Carrows' puppet last year. _Shouldn't she have at least one memory of that?_

"Ginny?"

She had paused for too long. Charlie must have felt her tense and could probably tell her heart rate had picked up. Bill looked at her with clear concern.

"He was one of them, wasn't he? Malfoy?" Bill asked gravely.

"No, he wasn't there."

But she didn't sound too sure anymore.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Two weeks later, Ginny was basking in the high of just winning her house the Quidditch cup after a close match with Slytherin. She let her friends and brothers who had come out for the game know that she'd be up in the dormitory soon to celebrate.

She hung back, leaning against the risers as the rest of the crowd left the stands headed toward the castle. She told herself that she was giving herself space to process the good news that Angelina had just given her but knew it was really the blonde Slytherin team captain who was walking down the pitch and would pass by her any moment now that kept her planted in her spot.

There was something that she had been holding off on.

Up until her epiphany moment with Bill and Charlie, she and Malfoy had been training together nearly every morning. Afterwards, she had avoided him like the plague.

She still had tryouts to prepare for, but with one win under her belt her focus shifted to this nagging unease that she had chosen to ignore for the last two weeks. She had missing memories. This bothered and scared her greatly. And as the blonde walked towards her, a person that she had almost come to think of as a friend, she found that she now feared him too.

It was her House bravery that had provoked her to call him over, bravery she no longer felt with him a foot away from her. Instinctively, her fingers hovered near the new tattoo that she had gotten with Charlie.

"That was a good game, Weasley."

"You too, Malfoy." Then, with some cheek, she added, "Sorry you didn't win."

He brushed it off. "My catch was still phenomenal. It won me points with the scouts, regardless of the loss." Malfoy had caught the snitch but only seconds after she had made a final goal to ensure Gryffindor were the victors. "I'm assuming you won points as well?"

She nodded. "You bet. Angie-Angelina Johnson just finished telling me that the Harpies scout has officially invited me to tryout."

"Congratulations. You earned it."

"Thanks," she accepted softly. For all intents and purposes, he appeared to be sincere and she really wanted to believe it. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." He gestured for them to take a seat in the risers. Everyone had pretty much cleared out by now to celebrate. "Glad to see you're no longer avoiding me now that you've won."

"You're right, I was avoiding you." Ginny saw Draco's joking demeanor slip. He hadn't expected her to admit it. "Draco," she said, tasting his first name in her mouth, "did we talk at all last year?"

Draco stilled at her words. She knew she was onto something. "I can't say that we did."

"But you were here last year, right?"

"Yes." He was staring straight in front of them now, not meeting her eye.

"Last year I headed the DA and you were forced to show allegiance to the Carrows. What was one interaction we had? We must have had one, Draco," she said, exasperated. Ginny was desperate for proof that she was missing memories.

They sat there for a while. He kept staring straight and she was loosing her patience. "Draco," her voice was hard, she had given him the benefit of the doubt, "I don't remember you from last year. Not a single memory. That scares me. So, I need you to tell me why that is or else I'll have to bring in other people to help me."

He sighed. His fingers toyed with themselves in his lap. _It was probably unusual for him to look uncomfortable like this this in front of others_ , she thought.

"I may have…lied to you just now. You don't remember me because I oblivated you last year." Her hands gripped her wand and tattoo tighter. "Not to hurt you," he amended quickly, "we were… _friends_."

His eyes were trusting but she felt robbed. Ginny let out the breath she was holding. "Friends don't obliviate each other, Draco," she said slowly.

"Do you remember the night you took that detention with Amicus and the seventh years? When they went through your memories?" She nodded. "You asked me to oblivate me from your memories so they wouldn't find out that we were friends."

"I asked you to oblivate me, to save you?" she asked, equivocally.

"You protected a lot of people last year, Ginny. I was one of them." She could swear there was gratitude in his eyes just then.

"Were you there that night? At the detention?" He nodded slowly. Ginny felt sick. She could not remember him there among the other seventh years whose faces were seared into her memory as they opened her up and jeered at every intimate moment in her life, twisting it into her deepest fears. She thought that that entire night had been seared into her mind.

"I was there to make sure they didn't take it too far."

 _Well, they fucking did_. But there was something else. "If you obliviated me before the detention, then why don't I have any memory of you being there during it?"

Instead of answering, he was looking over her shoulder. She was near desperate enough to start shaking his shoulders.

"Your brother is coming." She swore. Not _now!_ She turned and sure enough, there was Charlie coming towards them.

"Congratulation on a great game, both of you," Charlie greeted with a wide smile.

"Thank you," acknowledged Malfoy. "Well, this was a good debrief, but I better get back to my team," he said standing up. He took one last look at her before he left. "Good game, Ginny."

Charlie sprawled out on the seat next to her. "So, what was that about?"

Ginny felt irked by the man sitting next to her and she did her best to show it in her expression. "Did you add another kind of enchantment to my tattoo? Like the kind that alerts you whenever Malfoy's near?"

"Nah, this time it was Ron and George who alerted me. They saw you two talking and told me come break it up since apparently I'm the only brother you listen too," he repeated smugly, puffing out his chest, "and it looks like I was successful," he gestured to the seat Malfoy had vacated.

Sure, out of all her brothers it was true that Charlie probably had the most potential to influence her decision-making—but he didn't need to know that. At least they hadn't been able to engage Harry in this too. While Ron, George, and Angie had all visited for the game, Harry was on his first big Auror shadowing assignment and hadn't been able to make it.

Fortunately, Charlie was taking a friendly approach and ignoring that there was something obviously wrong. Ten minutes ago, she had been squealing about her win with Angie, now she was struggling to smile to her brother. He and Bill were also convinced she had lied about Malfoy being part of her breaking-point-detention. _Which he had been…_

"Ron and George are jumping to judgement. Judgements that are outdated."

"Most of the time sure, but can you honestly tell me that there isn't any truth it?" _Maybe he wasn't ignoring it_. Silence. She glared to tell him that she was annoyed. His voice got a bit gentler. "Ginny, if he has anything against you or you're scared of him, we can work something out with McGonagall—"

" _No!_ I am not scared of him." She definitely was, but she needed to figure this out.

"Really?" Charlie had dropped the pleasant smile. "So, why did you have your hand over your tattoo the entire time you were talking to him?"

"It's a new tattoo. I just like to touch every now and then."

"Uh huh." Knowing he wasn't getting anywhere; Charlie changed the subject. "So, there were professional scouts in the crowd today."

"Really? I didn't notice."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Draco methodically avoided her after their post-game confrontation. Eventually, her tryout date snuck up on her and she needed to focus. While having Angelina there as a friendly face had aided in relieving her nerves, she had been growing more and more impatient with each passing day after to hear their decision. Not that she could show it.

Only Harry, Angelina, and Hermione knew she had gone to try out. She was on the cusp of living her dream career and she was currently stuck in the Burrow over Easter Break, listening to her brothers.

They had just enjoyed lunch with Charlie's new girlfriend. A different one than the one from Christmas. Apparently, this one was a cashier at the store in Diagon Alley that Charlie frequented for his creature care tool supply.

Ginny hadn't even bothered to learn this one's name.

She missed her younger years when all his new girlfriends showed up with a present for the baby sister that they had heard so much about. Now, no matter how much older Charlie got, his girlfriends were always just a few years older than her and instead of presents they settled on asking what she planned to do with her life. _It's a secret!_ She wanted to scream.

She leaned in closer to Harry as they sat on the family room sofa, reading the Prophet between them. Charlie and What's-Her-Name had left the house to take a walk in the orchard. Ron and George stood in front of the kitchen window, staring after the couple that had just left. Apparently, the new girl had been _super_ hot. Bill sat in the armchair adjacent to her and Harry, uninterested in his younger brothers' conversation as he caught up with readings that he meant to incorporate into his classes. _He did have a Veela wife_ , thought Ginny.

Not finding anything of interest in the Prophet, she leaned into her boyfriend as close as she could to his ear to whisper, "Meet me in my room in five minutes?" Harry kept his eyes on the paper, smirking as he nodded.

Ginny got up and was halfway up the stairs when she yelled, " _Angie! Hermione!_ " She watched George and Ron swiveled in place, heads bobbing like squirrels as they searched for their girlfriends.

Once in her room she noticed an owl that she didn't recognize, perched just outside her window with a letter in its beak. Curious, she opened the window and accepted the letter. When she saw the emblem on it, her hands started to shake.

 _This was it_. She was about to find out if she had a career or not.

She was still staring at the closed envelope when Harry walked in.

He took a seat next to her on the bed. "You need to open it, Gin."

 _Duh. My hands just aren't working._ "I can't do it. Can you?" She offered him the letter. Harry took it and began carefully tearing it open.

 _No, no, no—this wasn't right. What if it was a no? She wasn't prepared. She needed to take a shower. Eat food. Drink water. She needed to do all the things that she would not be able to get herself to do if it turned out to be a no._ "Wait. Harry—"

Ginny jumped to take it back, but he was too fast for her. Before she knew it, he was across the room. "Gin, we need to open it."

"No! I'm not ready! I just need a little bit more time," she pleaded.

"Ginny, you've been waiting for this since you were seven. It's what you've been thinking about everyday since tryouts." He looked at her fondly. "It's time and you know it." Ginny sighed, evaluating herself.

 _Nope. Not ready_.

Pouncing, she charged toward her boyfriend. Harry, startled, ran from his girlfriend out of the room.

"I changed my mind!" Ginny barked after him. She chased him down the stairs into the kitchen. " _Give it back, Potter_ ," she grinded out when he put the kitchen island in between them.

"You're as ready as you'll ever be," Harry tried to reason. Then Ginny realized where they were.

She froze. Her brothers were near and watching them with interest. This was her fear. She screamed telepathically trying to convey this to her boyfriend with her eye movements. Thankfully, he understood.

He ripped off the seal and hid it from view before any of her brothers could recognize it. "Ron, go stand over there," Harry directed. "Just do it," he barked when her brother tried to argue. "I won't say anything if it's not…" he tried to assure her.

 _If I'm a failure_ , her mind finished for him.

Everything in her world paused as Harry unfolded the letter.

Painful pause. "Ginevra Weasley, Congratulations—"

Her screams as she bounced around the room cut him off. Harry ran over to bounce with her. "She's a Holyhead Harpy!" he yelled over to her brothers. They joined in on the yelling.

"Congratulations!

"How much are they paying you?"

"Does this mean we get free tickets now? Whenever?"

Charlie and his new girlfriend reentered the house. "What's going on here?" he asked, wanting to join the celebration.

"Guess who's the newest chaser of the Holyhead Harpies!" shouted Ron.

"I knew you were trying out!" exclaimed Charlie, holding his arms wide for her to run into them. "And of course, you made it. You deserve it," he said from a top her head. When they pulled away, she was pulled into another hug from the girl she was probably never going to see again, too wrapped up in enthusiasm to care.

"Well, what happened here?" asked Arthur Weasley as he and his wife entered the house with bags of groceries.

"Mum! Dad! I made the team! The Holyhead Harpies picked me to play for them!" yelled Ginny, still bouncing.

She heard "Oh, my goodness!" and "That's wonderful, dear! I'll make your favorites tonight" before getting wrapped up in one big hug with her parents.

Ginny set her hands a top her head, clinging onto the high that she was feeling in that moment. She basked in this feeling that she had wanted since she was seven years old.

So focused on this cathartic phenomenon that she didn't notice when her shirt rode up.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley," her mother gasped. "Is that a tattoo?"

Ginny's eyes widened at her mother between the cracks of her fingers. "Charlie took me to get it—" she informed hurriedly, pointing at her brother, "—he offered."

Charlie chucked a pillow at her face.


	3. Pass The Quaffle Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

**Pass The Quaffle A.K.A Ginny, Age 17 (Part 3)**

Ginny Weasley had landed her dream job. On top of that, none of her brothers were drunks anymore and The-Boy-Who-Lived was her steady boyfriend. She had accomplished things this year. Now, her energy could be channeled into one thing: getting her missing memories back.

Draco did not seem intent on helping her.

Whenever she spotted him in the corridors, he was always surrounded by his Slytherin classmates, as if he had magically made friends since Easter holidays. Ginny knew better. She knew these people were the tools he collected to form the human shield that always ensured her backing down. _Slytherins were not fans of Ginny Weasley._ She had been on the winning side of the war yet battles still needed to be chosen carefully. Two weeks of this had driven her beyond irritated.

So, when on a groggy Saturday morning Ginny trudged through the corridors toward the breakfast awaiting her in the Great Hall and she spotted Draco coming up from the dungeons unaccompanied, she sprung into action. Jumping in front of the Great Hall, wand drawn, Ginny embraced the desperate manic inside of her.

Draco’s eyes widened slightly at her imposition but gave nothing else away, standing stoically at the end of her wand. In a hard, lowly voice meant to intimidate, she uttered, “Tell me what you know.”

“ _Weasley!_ Can’t get enough can you?” a voice on their right barked.

Daphne Greengrass stood to the side with a blazing look as her younger sister ran up after her.

_What’s this now?_

Ginny looked over at the other girl like the blatant obstacle she was. This was supposed to have been her moment. “Whatever do you mean, Greengrass?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, Weasley. Adrian is in the hospital wing vomiting his insides out and you were just about to do the same to Draco.” Daphne’s voice had been loud through the entire exchange and it appeared her first exclamation had carried into the Great Hall because they were now drawing a crowd. “So, let’s be clear: Slytherin will not be treated this way.”

“What makes you think I had anything to do with putting Pucey in the hospital?” Ginny cried, unsure why she was even having this conversation. In front of the Great Hall no less.

“Oh please. The main thing you made clear last year was that if anything happened to a Slytherin it was you.”

“Look around you— _things are a bit different from last year!_ ”

“ _I am looking!_ ” Daphne screeched, pointing at Draco.

“Now, now,” said Slughorn calmingly as he wove through students until he arrived at Ginny’s left. “Let’s all just settle down now.” He quirked an eyebrow at Ginny. “Miss Weasley?”

Ginny looked at Slughorn incredulously. His eyes flickered to her hand and she realized she still had her wand raised at Draco. _Oh_. Her wand dropped down to her side.

“Fabulous!” beamed Slughorn. “Now, let’s—”

“Excuse me, Professor,” Colin piped up from the crowd, “but with all due respect—shouldn’t we be asking Ginny why she had her wand drawn on Malfoy in the first place?”

“Yeah, she wouldn’t do that without good cause,” added Dean, next to Colin.

Shouts of agreement from various DA members ran through the crowd. They dissolved into chaotic murmurs until Headmistress McGonagall strode to the center of the spectacle. “ _Quiet!_ ” Hush _._ “Miss Weasley, Miss Greengrass, and Mr. Malfoy, my office. Everyone else, disperse. _Now_.”

Most of the crowd, though riled up, swarmed back into the Great Hall. McGonagall directed a nod towards Slughorn and then to someone directly behind Ginny before turning to lead the small group towards her office. Ginny turned around to find Bill standing behind her, attempting to look at her like the professor and Head of Gryffindor House that he was.

“Miss Weasley?” Bill taunted.

Ginny rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…” she muttered, moving to trail behind the group. Bill followed her.

Once inside McGonagall’s office, the students took seats in front of the desk and the two heads of houses stood on either side. Ginny sat to the left of Draco, who was obviously trying not to look at her, while Daphne was on his right.

Taking her seat behind the desk, McGonagall began, “Let’s start with Mr. Malfoy. Why did Miss Weasley have her wand raised at you?”

Ginny could tell that Draco was unsure of whether she was going to tell the truth, the whole truth, so she replied for him. Pretending to sound jilted, she said “He made a comment about my family. It was insulting. He called my mother a cow and my father worthless for his appreciate of muggle objects.”

It was the standard insult that he had hurled at her and her brothers when they were kids. However, it was so standard that no one in the room bought it. Except poor Bill who was not used to these comments.

McGonagall was clearly unimpressed. “Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?”

Tight-lipped, Draco replied, “Yes.” Bill fidgeted next to her.

“Excuse me, Headmistress, but is hexing now the acceptable way for dealing with petty insults?” Daphne inferred, outraged. “For all we know, Draco merely said those words out of spite after what she did to Adrian.”

“And what exactly did Miss Weasley do to Mr. Pucey?”

“She gave him one of those sweets that her brothers sell at their shop,” Daphne harshly accused. “The ones that make you throw up. Adrian is in the hospital wing right now and he’s been throwing up for hours,” she said with the disgust of having been a spectator.

“Miss Weasley is this true?”

“No, absolutely not.” _Please understand how ridiculous this is_ , Ginny hoped she her tone conveyed.

“Miss Greengrass, how can you be so sure that it was Miss Weasley? Did you or anyone else see her give him the sweet?”

“Well, no,” Daphne admitted, knowing she had no case. “But I know it was her. She has it out for Slytherin and wants to keep punishing us for the war. Whenever any of my housemates ended up in the hospital wing last year it was her fault—”

“Because they were the ones throwing _curses_ at innocent kids—”

“We were _forced_ to!”

“ _Not always_.”

“ _Enough_. Both of you. Now I think we can all agree that there were many regretful actions carried out during the war—on both sides.” Through pursed lips, McGonagall continued. “As of now, I see no definitive evidence of Miss Weasley being the cause of Mr. Pucey’s hospital visit—" Daphne scoffed, “—however, I will be personally looking into the incident. You will each serve one weeks’ worth of detention—”

“I didn’t even do anything!” Daphne cut in.

“ _Miss Greengrass_. You were all responsible for quite a scene today. A scene that could have ended in negative repercussions for the student body as a whole.” McGonagall surveyed them, allowing the insinuation to hit home. “That is all for now. You are dismissed.”

The three students got up to leave. “Miss Weasley, I would like a word with you.”

Draco and Daphne left without looking back. Ginny remained standing, determined not to allow this conversation to go much longer. “Quite frankly, Miss Weasley, I am less concerned with your actions and more concerned with the effects it has on the study body.”

“Excuse me?” Yes, maybe it had been stupid of her to pull out her wand on Draco in front of the Great Hall, but overall, she had done nothing wrong.

“You heard Miss Greengrass and your classmates in the hall. Now, your brother,” she nodded towards Bill, “and Professor Slughorn have been monitoring the tension between houses this year and I must say I am worried things may escalate after what happened this morning. I think we can all agree the war is over and that we would like to avoid another war among houses similar to last year.”

Ginny’s head was pounding. Bill and Slughorn looked as relaxed as ever now that Draco and Daphne had left. Apparently, the professors thought they were just among friends. Yes, they were all war heroes, but they had all lived very different wars and this wasn’t exactly Ginny’s ideal tea party.

“What would any of you know about the war among houses last year?” she whispered. Part of her was horrified to be saying this to three adults that she genuinely respected, however, her blood was boiling now and taking over. It would all have to come out now.

“Excuse me?” McGonagall had clearly not expected the daughter of Molly and Arthur Weasley to be anything less than amicable.

Bill raised a hand to settle under his chin in a nervous gesture, though he did not stop her. He knew his sister well enough to know that she was all ready too far gone to be shushed. Her face probably looked like a tomato by now.

“We were left to fend for ourselves last year. I do not regret my actions. If I hurt anyone it was out of protection for someone else or every student that feared the death eaters _running_ the school. Someone needed to protect them when _no one_ else was.” Her words were clear, crisp, and cold. She was very plainly calling out McGonagall and Slughorn for their lack of action last year.

Sure, it was quite possible McGonagall and Slughorn had done a lot more for the war effort that Ginny wasn’t privy to. She figured there was probably much she did not know and would never know. They had been Order members after all.

However, the one thing Ginny knew with outstanding certainty was how utterly alone students had felt last year. She had been one of them and so she, Neville, and Luna had encouraged others to channel that fear into something else. They had taken that on, but the war was over now so she wanted to make something clear. “I will not be blamed for disunity among houses.”

McGonagall was looking at her kindly now and Ginny hated it. “No one is blaming you. Quite the opposite. We would like to acknowledge the role you and Mr. Longbottom took on during last year’s events and ask for your help in maintaining school unity. Your classmates listen and look up to you for good reason.”

This was not her problem anymore.

“Quite frankly, Headmistress, unity is the professors’ job. I did my part last year. Thank you for the acknowledgement.” She aimed her next punch to both McGonagall and Slughorn. “You welcome,” she shot at them before leaving the room.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny ambled down the corridor leaving McGonagall’s office. She hoped her face read ‘Do Not Disturb’ as best as possible.

Her best friends, apparently, were the exception as Colin and Luna came to flank her on her war path.

“We’re walking quite fast right now. I rather enjoy it,” commented Luna.

“Good for you, Gin!” Colin cheered from her right. “I’ve been waiting nearly two years to see you handle Malfoy like that.”

“What? Why?” asked Ginny, taken-a-back.

“For everything he did to you last year of course!”

Ginny stopped her determined-picture-perfect-moment-stride to face her two friends. “What did he do to me last year?”

Colin held his arms open wide, implying he was useless. “Gee, I don’t know, Ginny, because you never told us,” he said exasperated, unaware of the unease creeping up on Ginny. “You only ever told Neville and he only ever told us it was nothing even though it was clearly something.”

Ginny stared at both. This was the first she was hearing about her relationship with Draco from last year from anyone other than Draco. It hadn’t even occurred to her to ask her friends. If she knew herself, she knew that past Ginny would have hidden whatever friendship with Draco very well last year.

“Colin,” Luna said serenely as she patted the boy on the back, “Ginny doesn’t know what we’re talking about so she needs some time to think. Let’s go down to breakfast before they vanish all the crumpets.”

Colin was thoroughly confused by Luna’s comment but allowed her to lead him away back to the Great Hall.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny was in a cold rage. Slytherin was calling her evil, apparently she wasn’t living up to being the leader the school needed her to be, and she was still missing memories. Not to mention she had also gotten into an all-out duel with three of her supposed friends over lust potion, less than two months ago. For all the things she had accomplished this past year, there was still work to be done. She had gone from “winner” to someone who needed to “get it together,” in less than an hour.

So, she raged quietly.

Never fear—before any of you start worrying that this Ginny is about to do something rash, know that this is a girl that takes precautions.

She understood that Hermione and her brothers would want to know more and help her in any way they could. She noticed Astoria Greengrass attempting to rein in her older sister when it all went down this morning. She also knew that if Adrian Pucey ended up in the hospital wing with a near deadly bout of vomiting, the most akin to the twins on campus were Jimmy and Richie.

She filed these items away in her mind to use later.

Soon, Ginny would be ready to be the leader they needed. For now, she needed to fume and no one needed to see her like this. So she left the castle and passed through the quidditch pitch. Flying sounded like a good option but it left room for an audience and she could not have that right now.

She did not hesitate when she took the first step into the Forbidden Forest—or the third, fourth, and so on. Ginny Weasley had taken an oath not to do stupid things. Some could argue that she was currently in violation of this oath. However, with the energy coursing through her, Ginny dared any creature or dark energy out there to come at her.

She walked noisily along with big strides and broad shoulders. She clutched at her wand raised in front of her. She knew any kind of fight started in the castle would either end in more rage or simple sadness. Here, she was ready for a fight.

Ginny had no idea how long she had been walking before she came upon the clearing. She paused, taking in the new scenery, listening to detect anything nearby. When she was positive she was alone, she sat crisscross in the center, relishing in the silence.

There seemed to be rope burns on a large tree stump nearby and she wondered what they could’ve held. That and a large branch in front of her peeked her attention. The end of the branch appeared to have burn marks, as if it had been seared off its body. As she pondered the cause of these scars, she noticed something else glinting in the sunlight a few feet away.

Picking it up, she saw that it was a small, dark stone; different than the other rocks around her.

She rolled it around in her palms and went back to her thoughts. Her mind drifted to Fred and she wondered what her brother would say if he could see her now—a Gryffindor, run out of the castle by Slytherins. Where was the Weasley in her? He’d ask.

“Gin-Gin?”

Ginny froze. Either than voice had not come from her head or she was going insane. Not to mention the familiarity of it. That was a voice that had made her laugh time and time again. Now it just made her shiver.

Slowly, she lifted her head and came face to face with a transparent version of George. Expect this George had both his ears intact and his dimple was on the right side instead of the left. It had to be—

“ _Fred?_ ” she breathed in wonderment.

The figure smiled slightly, a bit sad, and nodded. “How?” she choked out.

“That’s a special stone you’ve got there, kid,” Fred said softly.

Ginny gasped. “You mean the one Harry talked about during the war—The Resurrection Stone?” Fred nodded again. “This is where he died—” she scanned the clearing again from her peripheral vision, not wanting to take her focus of Fred, “—isn’t it?”

“Yeah”

“Then it’s really you, isn’t it?” She stifled a sob, her eyes watering. “This isn’t just in my head?”

“Well, even if I was just in your head—”

“—who’s to say you’re not real—Yeah, I know, but that’s not helpful!” Ginny exclaimed as she began to sob for real.

“Come on now, don’t cry on me, Gin. I can’t exactly wipe away your tears with this body.” His smile lost some of its sadness and he waved his hand in the sunlight to point out its transparency. She laughed through the tears flowing down her cheeks. “Besides, how are you gonna keep all those kids from killing each other or, you know, take care of our entire family, or become the greatest quidditch player of all time, if you’re crying over me? Huh?”

She laughed at herself this time, letting the tears flow as she caught her breath.

Fred was sitting crisscross, mirroring her, just like they had done a thousand times at the Burrow. Except, this was an older Fred.

Fred, who had _died_ in the war.

Everything she had been contemplating in anger a minute ago seemed ridiculous now.

Ginny wiped a side of her face dry, sniffling. “That was stupid. I was being stupid,” she said dismissively.

“Nah,” Fred challenged. “You don’t do stupid things remember?”

Ginny smiled widely. “You’re absolutely right.”

“Of course, I am,” said Fred as if it were obvious. “Not counting the times when you check out the Ferret, but other than that…”

Ginny gaped. “Can you blame me?”

“ _Ew_. Don’t want to hear it,” he said pointedly, with his transparent hands overs his ears. “As I was saying—You’ve got too many of our good characteristics to ever be stupid.” He held up his hand to start listing them off. “Ron’s temper to do something, George’s and my wickedness, Percy’s anal-retentiveness, Charlie’s athletic skill, and Bill’s…”

“…sexy edginess?”

“I was thinking confidence but sure, sure,” he appeased with a scrunched face. “Plus, Mum’s thoughtfulness and Dad’s curiosity.” He looked at her head-on for this last revelation. “You’re invincible, baby sister.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so, big brother. I muck a lot of things up.”

“Because you think you finish something, and it just comes back to bite you?”

“Yeah”

“That’s the thing, sis. There are times when you think everything is finished, those are just the beginnings…You’ll get better at it each time and bring even more honor to the Weasley family name.”

Ginny bit the inside of her cheek. “You’ve gotten pretty smart, Gred.”

“Technically, the endings and beginnings thing was Dumbledore’s, but I’ll take it.”

She stared at him, hard; scared that she would blink him away. “Why did you have to _die_?” she croaked.

Fred shrugged. “I guess, out of everyone, I was best suited to becoming the all-knowing being of the family.”

Ginny cried laughing all over again. She skipped lunch and the two siblings sat crisscross on the forest floor until the sunlight started to depart. They spoke about their various family members, her newfound unity mission, and his new favorite voyeuristic habits. He congratulated her on her acceptance into the Harpies and she laughed when he described Ron and Hermione as the most annoying couple to watch. She shared how worried she had been for George, and Fred shared how relieved he was to see his brother and Angelina get together.

When Ginny confessed that she was scared that the fiery version of her from last year—the everyone admired—could be gone, Fred reminded her of why the DA had been so successful. _Community_. Something she needed to utilize more.

When Fred reminded her that she was in the Forbidden Forest and was losing light fast, she was at a loss of how to end it. “What about George? If I had the chance to talk to you one last time, he deserves it too. Hell, we all need you.”

Fred smiled sadly. “No one really needs another person. Not really. We want each other, sure. But you and George are right on the cusp of growing into yourselves. And I definitely don’t have anything left to teach you.” He leaned in to say gently, “It’s best if that stone goes back to the Headmistress for safekeeping.”

Ginny nodded, ready to let go of the stone. “Love you, Fred.”

“Love you, Gingers.”

She dropped the stone into her pouch and when she looked up, Fred was gone. Shakily, she stood up and dusted herself off.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny’s spirit felt much lighter from her encounter with Fred when she reached the Great Hall just in time for dinner. She half-heartedly sulked onto her house bench when she saw it was Shepard’s pie for dinner again. Though she loved Shepard’s pie, this was getting absurd. She accepted greetings from Colin and Luna across from her and scooped a heaping of the pie onto her plate.

She absentmindedly fingered the stone sitting in her pocket. Yes, she had every intention of returning it, but not just yet. She was a minute into poking the heap with her fork when someone tapped her shoulder.

She found her older brother leaning over her. “Bill!”

“Hey, Gin. Charlie and—,” was as far as he got before she launched herself as him, squeezing his waist in a hug. She had just spent the day with their dead brother, after all. He patted her shoulder in surprise, no doubt being careful because of what she had said in McGonagall’s office this morning. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine. I’m just happy you’re—” _Alive?_ “—here.”

“You’re never that happy to see me,” bristled Charlie who was standing a few feet away from them as he ignored the students turned spectators.

“You don’t give me reason to be,” she quipped.

“Ouch,” voiced Colin.

“Anyway,” Bill whispered in near her ear, “Charlie and I are going to The Three Broomsticks for dinner—we’ve had enough of Shepard’s pie—wanna come?”

“Yes, please,” replied Ginny, standing up from the table.

“Ginny!” cried Colin, “Take us with you!” Apparently, some of the other students around them had heard.

“Sorry, mate,” said Bill. Her brothers were cool, but they weren’t about to take responsibility for an impromptu field trip to Hogsmeade.

Ginny shrugged, hopelessly. “Sorry Colin, it’s a family dinner.”

“But we’re _like_ —”

“Bye, Colin.”

“Yeah— _bye_ , Colin,” Charlie reiterated with a smile and slight wave.

Ginny hooked her arm around Bill’s, and they were off. Once they were clear of the Great Hall, she leaned forward to swat at Charlie’s back in front of her. “Why are you mean to Colin?” she asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.

Charlie grabbed her free wrist and tucked it in the crook of his arm so that she was sandwiched between her two brothers. Satisfied that she couldn’t take another swing at him, Charlie replied, “You really need to work on noticing how boys look at you, little sister.”

Ginny gaped. “ _Me? I_ need to work on that. _Seriously?_ ” The irony was lost on them, so she felt the need to repeat herself. “ _I_ need to do that?” They didn’t get it.

“Yes,” Charlie stated plainly, nodding up and down, “the other day I was walking down the third-floor corridor and the bloke was twirling you around for everyone to stare at your…assets.” He stared ahead of them. “You’re not an object, Gin.”

“No, but the dragon-hide leather jacket that I was wearing that day—the one _you_ got me for Christmas,” she poked him, “—is an object and that was what we were displaying. And Charlie?” Charlie grunted. “Colin is gay.”

Charlie squinted in thought. “No…”

“Yes”

“Is that what he tells you?” He interpreted, with his face scrunched up, pityingly.

“Do you remember that one night you were on patrol and you found him and Terry Boot up in the Astronomy Tower?” Charlie nodded. “They were boinking. You know, choking the chicken. Cleaning the pipes. Plundering the—”

“I think I know shagging when I see it,” he affirmed as if he were the end-all expert in the subject.

“Didn’t they look at all flushed to you?”

“Flushed from the embarrassment of getting caught after curfew by me the professor, maybe. They’re shady blokes.”

“If you had showed up ten seconds earlier, you would’ve seen something much more graphic.”

“Well then.” Charlie, unlike Ron, was not fazed by talking about sex with his younger sister. When she checked on Bill, he just seemed amused at Charlie struggling to make a point. “He could be bisexual then.”

“Unlikely. I’ve described many of my sexual experiences to him in detail. Zero interest. Not one crotch dent on record.”

Charlie seemed conflicted. “This still doesn’t mean I need to be nice to him.”

“Good talk, _Professor_.”

The three Floo’d to the Three Broomsticks and ordered plates of fish and chips. Ginny asked Bill about Fleur, who was currently visiting her family in France with Victoire. While Bill thoroughly enjoyed his year teaching, the small family was eager to move back to Shell Cottage. He had helped McGonagall greatly by taking the DADA position this year and the Headmistress believed she finally had a lead on his successor for next year.

Whereas, while Charlie missed his dragons, he enjoyed reconnecting to his family. When he had left for Romania nearly a decade ago, his younger siblings had all been too young to know themselves. The Weasley family was now beginning to flourish within the Wizarding community. Due to the sheer number of them, they had been the main face of the Order. Now, they were involved in revamping regulations for the new Ministry, rebuilding Hogwarts, populating the Auror department, even contributing to community morale with WWW stores, and soon to be featured in professional quidditch.

The Weasleys were everywhere.

At least in England. It was an exciting time.

Ginny had expected them to bring up the debacle from this morning. When they didn’t, she was content to keep the conversation going.

 _Community_ , Fred had reminded her, _you need to let in your community_.

“So, here’s a hypothetical,” Ginny proposed casually, “If someone obliviated you, what would you do?”

Charlie appeared to ponder the question for a moment, then tipped his beer bottle towards her as if offering advice. “I would tell my brothers about it so they could help me beat this guy up.”

“What if it’s a girl?”

“Is it?”

“No, but _prissy_ —”

“So, some guy obliviated you?” Bill interrupted, deadly serious.

“Malfoy,” stated Charlie. It wasn’t a question. “We’ve heard the comments from other students.”

“I never said—I did not say that. I was looking for…Just forget I asked,” Ginny grumbled, waving off any of their advances. She took a few more sips of her Butterbeer. She had tried.

Bill switched gears and took a different approach when he realized they were losing her. “It would depend on how significant of a gap there was in my memory. These days if someone were to erase a decent portion of your memory, it alone could constitute a crime. Of course, it would also depend on what exactly they were erasing.”

“Yeah,” agreed Charlie, “whether it was a crime I witnessed or something being…you know, _done_ to me, it would definitely matter.”

Ginny fidgeted in her seat. “What if you weren’t sure how much had been erased and had no way of knowing what exactly was erased.”

“Technically, the only way to truly get those memories back would be through the original spellcaster—”

“—which is where having a big family comes in handy—” Charlie cut in.

“—But…”

“ _But?_ ”

“—But there may be a potion that can supposedly help you regain lost memories. It’s not an exact solution but may be worthwhile to try. I can look into it.”

“Thank you,” said Ginny, grateful they had humored her in her ‘hypothetical’. “I’ll ask Hermione too,” she said as an afterthought.

“There is one more thing I’d make sure to do, though,” Bill continued.

“What’s that?”

“I’d take precautions to avoid any interference.” She waited for him to elaborate as he toyed with the rim of his beer bottle. “If I decided not to tell my family,” pointed look, “then I’d make sure to tell at least one other person exactly what was going on, considering the original spellcaster would have every intention of keeping me from regaining those memories. A check-in person if you will.”

“I don’t think it’s anything that dangerous,” she tried to placate. Though she wasn’t sure if she was saying it to them or herself. They could tell.

“Gin,” Charlie drew out slowly, “people don’t obliviate other people over something embarrassing anymore. And they will do whatever it takes from letting you remember, because _whatever it is_ , it has negative consequences for them.”

“Like Azkaban,” Bill supplied.

Ginny nodded, looking down at her plate. “Got it.”

They let the conversation rest. Each took a few more bites of their meal before Bill, hesitantly, approached another subject. “About earlier today, when McGonagall told you—”

“Don’t worry,” said Ginny, waving her hand dismissively. “I’ll take care of it and I’ll apologize to McGonagall.”

“Do you need help with it?” Though neither him nor Charlie seemed to know how. Charlie had no doubt been filled in with great detail as to this morning’s events by Bill.

Ginny shook her head and smiled slightly. “I’ll have plenty of help.”

She could feel Charlie evaluating her. “So, what’s the plan?”

Ginny shrugged. “Not sure yet, but I know where to start.”

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny jumped onto Hermione’s bunk that night, causing the bed to bounce with her. Hermione didn’t even look up from her book to address her. “How was your night out in Hogsmeade?”

“Very nice,” she gushed. “No Shepard’s pie and good conversation.”

Hermione peered down at her. “I can tell. You no longer look like you want to hurt someone.”

“I was never going to hurt anyone,” said Ginny, rolling her eyes. Then amended, “without just cause.”

“Sure Ginny, and Malfoy had clearly attacked you when you pulled your wand on him this morning. You know,” deadpan as she spoke down to the younger girl, “considering he was wandless and all.”

“Well, I didn’t think punching him would have worked well for my cause,” Ginny taunted.

Hermione pursed her lips. “And what cause was that exactly?”

“What do you know about a potion that could help you regain your memories after you’ve been obliviated?”

Hermione scoffed. “Everything.”

“ _Seriously?_ ” cried Ginny, hurriedly sitting up to look Hermione in the eye.

“Well…” Hermione bobbed her head modestly, “probably not _everything_ , but I could, you know, if I had good reason to…”

“To help your future sister-in-law?”

“Woa, slow down, but sure, I’ll look into it.” Then Hermione raised a finger at her. “However, if you do need it, you will be helping me with the brewing process,” Ginny nodded enigmatically, “and you’re not going to do the thing that Ron does where he acts useless at it.”

“He’s not acting, but deal.”

They shook on it and Ginny laid back on the bed.

“Ginny?”

Ginny raised her head to find Emily Waters standing very tentatively near the edge of Hermione’s bunk.

“Yes?”

“I was wondering if we could talk.”

“Go on,” said Ginny, plainly and unmoving. Ginny smiled inwardly when she noticed Hermione finally set her book down to watch the other girl indifferently.

 _Community_ , she could hear Fred say, _they’re ready for you, you just need to let them in_.

“Alright,” Emily started slowly, balancing herself from one foot to the other. “I wanted to apologize for how I treated you and the things we said about you. I was obviously projecting some of my own insecurities. They weren’t true and you deserved better than that.” In an afterthought, she added, “I also promise from now until forever to keep my hands off any slash all of your brothers. They’re safe.”

Ginny kept her face blank. Mentally, she was cheering. This was going to be much easier than she expected. The only way she was going to be able to attempt a treaty between Slytherin and the other three houses was through Emily and her knack for questionable friendships. Now, she no longer had to be the one to approach Emily.

Ginny Weasley was having an all-around-productive day.

“Thank you for the apology. I forgive you.”

Emily blinked owlishly, extremely surprised at how easy that had been. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” said Ginny, sitting up again, “but I’m going to need a favor…”

Emily nodded, taking a seat at the edge of the bunk.

XXXXXXXXXX

It wasn’t more than a week later when the next fight broke out. Jimmy and Ritchie had been playing with the newest Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes product just inside of the entrance to the Great Hall. Warrington and Bletchley had passed the pair on their way to the Slytherin table, but not without muttering an insult under their breath.

Jimmy and Ritchie heard it loud and clear and ‘death eater scum’ was all Ginny had heard next before members of the Slytherin table rose in protest. DA members left and right of Ginny were reaching for their wands when Daphne Greengrass screeched out to the hall that ‘they would not be spoken to that way.’

Even Colin seemed done. Hermione though looked bored. After being on the frontlines of the war, Ginny guessed she wanted no part in petty squabbles. Luna just pressed a hand to Ginny’s knee and gave the redhead a small smile. For once, Ginny wished that Luna would explain to her what was about to happen because Ginny had no idea. When she looked back at the Slytherin table she nearly peed herself.

Nearly every Slytherin was standing and they looked like the screaming remnants of the death eaters that ran free here last year. Cold, heartless, and calculated was how they wanted to be read and each icy glare ensured it.

But these were not Death Eaters and the war was over.

When she looked closer, she noticed Astoria Greengrass caught between hanging back and reaching for her older sister. Behind her emotionless demeanor, Ginny read fear and worry. She understood. Astoria would stand by her house in a fight but this was not what she wanted. Astoria sent a fleeting glance to someone behind her, Draco.

Draco to Ginny’s surprised was not watching the interaction at all. Instead, he was staring at her—expectantly.

Vaguely, Ginny heard Professors from the main table, her brothers included, standing and attempting to talk the students down.

Noticing that Ginny wasn’t backing down from his gaze, Draco quirked an eyebrow up at her. Without thinking, she felt her body start to move. Before she knew it, she was standing on top of the Gryffindor table and screaming, “ _Enough!_ ” Everything stopped and now everyone was looking at her expectantly. McGonagall wasn’t even telling her to get off the table. A few DA members seemed thrilled as if ready to hear her rip into Slytherin. “Put your wands down.”

Daphne took issue with this. “ _We will not_ —”

“I’m only speaking to DA members right now,” Ginny assured her. Then she addressed the other houses. “If you are a member of Dumbledore’s Army put your wands down. _Now_.” No one moved for a moment. Colin reluctantly dropped his wand down first and thankfully Dean, Emily, Susan, and Hannah lead the others in lowering their wands. When Ginny looked directly over to Jimmy and Ritchie they immediately did so as well. She had been their quidditch captain after all.

“Good,” continued Ginny. “From now on, no member of the DA is to start, encourage, or engage in any action that causes disunity in this school.” Ginny noticed Jimmy looking conflicted, scratching the back of his head as if wanting to raise his hand. “Ask me,” she demanded to Jimmy.

“Or what?” asked Jimmy, fidgeting as he attempted to sound genuinely curious instead of defiant.

“Or you risk losing your DA membership.”

Murmurs immediately broke out among the students. One question stood out: “Can she even do that?” Whoever said it hadn’t meant for it to be so loud; nonetheless, everyone heard it.

To Ginny’s immense pleasure, Hermione decided to join her atop the Gryffindor table, as one of the original founders of the DA, to say boldly, “Oh yes she can.” Then, promptly sat back down to avoid further questions.

That shut them up. Ginny would trample the bushy-haired girl with thank you kisses later. “Like Hermione said, yes, it is possible. Losing your DA membership means handing back you Galleon, loosing access to the Room of Requirement, _and_ you would lose all invitations to future DA reunion parties.” Gasp _. Not the DA reunion parties! Those are sacred! Wait—we’re having a party?_

Ginny waited for them to quiet down again. “Chaos was what _Voldermort_ wanted. Indulging in it only adds power to the fear he created. The war is over and therefore the DA must evolve too. Our duty as DA members are now to uphold the values of the peaceful society that we all fought so hard for.” She paused. “That our friends died for.” Silence laid heavy throughout the hall. In a different tone, Ginny switched gears to try and incorporate Slytherin back into the conversation. “Now, Jimmy and Ritchie, do you have anything to say to P-Adrian?”

Adrian Pucey at the Slytherin table appeared bemused at the mention of his name. Jimmy and Ritchie glared petulantly at their former quidditch captain, nevertheless, they gave in.

“We apologize for sneaking you puking pasties last week,” Jimmy grumbled to Pucey’s shoulder.

“It won’t happen again,” added Ritchie.

“Thank you,” Astoria Greengrass called out from behind Daphne as she nudged her sister. Daphne grudgingly nodded at the redhead. Ginny was careful to stay focused and not look directly at Draco.

“Fantastic!” boomed Ginny, now uncomfortable with all the eyes. “Now if we’re all in an understanding, let’s get back to our meal.” The same students who led them in lowering their wands, were now the first to lead the others in taking their seats; while the Greengrass sisters jerkily ushered Slytherin back to the table.

Suddenly remembering the professors, Ginny glanced back at the head table, amazed she had not heard a peep from them. McGonagall immediately caught her eye. She seemed pleased. McGonagall briefly bent her head towards the young girl in acknowledgement before taking a seat herself. Ginny hopped off the table, sinking back onto the bench.

Feeling relieved once the Great Hall returned to normal volume, Ginny remembered some of what she had just said.

“Luna, I need your help,” she realized.

Not missing a beat, Luna answered, “Anything for you, Ginny.”

“I’m not sure…but I think I just promised to plan everyone a DA reunion party.”

Luna nodded curtly before pulling out a notepad and quill from her bag. “Your place or mine?”

Ginny knew she could not win everyone over. There were probably a few DA members that were unsettled by her authoritative statement. However, the proud claps on the back that she received from her two eldest brothers that day—the _cool_ brothers who had always reeked of confidence growing up—made it all worthwhile.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Two weeks later, Ginny waited outside the Room of Requirement. Invitations for the impending DA reunion party this summer had been miraculously effective in keeping most members in line. Now, it was time for phase two.

“Are we sure they’re even coming?” voiced Colin for the third time that night. He and Luna stood next to her, backs leaning against the wall.

“They’ll be here,” assured Luna. “People tend not to want to upset Ginny.”

“Are you kidding? It’s unavoidable. Everything upsets Ginny.”

Ginny shushed them at the sound of approaching footsteps. It was twelve minutes past eight o’clock when Emily Waters, Hannah Abbott, and Astoria Greengrass came into view. Better late than never. Behind them followed a small group of Slytherins that included, to Ginny’s surprise, Daphne Greengrass.

She took it in stride. “Thank you all for coming.” Ginny greeted. “Did everyone get a chance to sign?” Emily nodded for the group. “Excellent.” Slowly, a large wooden door began to materialize in front of them. “Come on in then.” She pulled the large door open. “Welcome to the Room of Requirement!”

One-by-one each of them passed through the threshold into what appeared to be a spacious common room that was decorated with all four house crests. If they were nervous, the Slytherins certainly weren’t about to show it.

A few DA members were scattered throughout the room, trying their best not to stare. They had all been informed of the tour beforehand and each of them were looking forward to attending the reunion party this summer.

“Over here,” Ginny said point to the right wing, “is our main dueling area. Back there are worktables for practicing potions, all fully stocked. To the left here is your assortment of spell practice dummies you can choose from. We also have our community collection of creatures there that we care for—we have a care schedule. They can be used for Transfiguration practice on the worktables next to them. There are community rules for each space, but Emily and Hannah will take you through those details.” Ginny turned back to fully face the group. “Like they explained earlier, this space is meant to be a common room for all houses from now on that’s a bit livelier than the library.”

Dumbledore’s Army and the Room of Requirement served a purpose during Umbridge’s reign. Under the Carrows, both reshaped themselves to the needs of the students differently. The war was over and so the DA and Room of Requirement would reshape to serve the students of this time.

XXXXXXXXXX

About one month later it was the eve of the anniversary of The Last Battle. Ginny had just gotten back from a second failed attempt of the Remembrance potion that she had been brewing with Hermione. It had never been a guaranteed outcome, but Ginny had hoped. The Remembrance Potion was mainly used for people with amnesia but there had been a few reported cases stating positive outcomes for reversing obliviated memories. It all depended on how effective the spellcaster had been when eliminating the memories in question. If there were still remnants of the memories left buried in the mind, the Remembrance Potion could piece them together and complete them.

Without any remnants, there was nothing for the potion to grab onto. Which seemed to be the case with her. Apparently, Draco had been too effective in his spellcasting.

They had tried for a second time today, in case the first potion had been brewed incorrectly, and nothing.

Ginny cast her disappointment aside. There was something more important happening tonight. Tomorrow, a memorial service would be held at Hogwarts for the anniversary of The Last Battle. The Wizarding World would remember those who had been lost and Order of the Phoenix members would be honored.

Since tomorrow was such a big day, her brothers had wanted to get together beforehand to remember Fred properly, away from the eyes of everyone else.

As siblings mourning their lost sibling.

Ginny had never gone drinking with all her brothers. They had drank firewhiskey together at the Burrow, sure. But never in public. And they had definitely all gone without her a couple times this year. The only reason she knew she had missed the invite was because of _Harry_ , who casually mentioned he had gone out with all of them as if the fact that she hadn’t been there meant nothing.

But she wasn’t going to let that bother her tonight.

Because tonight was about Fred.

So, Ginny followed Bill and Charlie into The Three Broomsticks where they found Percy, George, and Ron waiting for them. Each of her brothers greeted Ginny with whole-hearted hugs and quick cheek kisses. She sat between Ron and Percy while Charlie made sure to sit next to George, in case he needed a shoulder to lean on.

Once they were all settled with their first shot of whiskey in front of them, Bill started them off. “We are here tonight to remember our fallen brother, Fred. While he can’t be here to sit at this table, he is always with us. To Fred!”

The siblings let out a chorus of ‘to Fred’s’ and clanked shot glasses before downing the liquor.

Bill swallowed the drink. “How about we go around and share some of our favorite Fred stories?” he suggested.

Charlie recounted a time when Fred was ten and he drugged all the chickens at the Burrow. Seeing all the chickens distressed, storming the Burrow for something, had reinforced Charlie’s compassion for animals. That provoked Ron to tell the story of when, during the summer he first mentioned wanting to try out as keeper for the Gryffindor team, Fred enchanted the quidditch hoops at the Burrow to be un-scoreable. It had taken a few rounds for Ron to realize it, but up until then he had felt invincible.

When that reminded Percy of something Fred had said on the morning of Percy’s first day of work at the Ministry, Ginny could take no more. She told her brothers she needed to use the loo and left the table.

However, instead of turning into the loo she took a few more steps and left through the side door. Once outside, she pulled out the tiny Resurrection stone that had been weighing heavy in her robes all night.

Fred appeared in front of her and he did not look happy.

“Have you been watching?” Ginny prodded.

“Don’t worry about me, sis,” Fred told her, stormy-eyed. “You were supposed to have turned that into McGonagall by now.”

Yes, she was very aware that this artifact was not hers to keep—but she had _five_ other living siblings. “I got to say goodbye to you, Fred. That meant a lot. It would mean so much to everyone else in there too,” Ginny insisted.

Fred shook his head. “Everyone has been doing well moving on. If I show up now, I could set that back, especially for George.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“Ginny!”

At Ron’s voice, Ginny searched frantically around for a way to shield Fred from Ron’s view until she remembered that she was the only one who could currently see him. Ron walked up to her.

“Ginny?” said Ron, looking at her like she was doing something funny. He shoved his hands in his pockets at the cool night air. “What are you doing out here? You said you were going to the loo but I saw you slip out.” There was no anger in his voice. He just seemed like he wanted to be clued in on the joke. “Who were you talking to just now?”

“No one,” she lied automatically and immediately regretted when she saw the hurt look on Ron’s face. Their newfound relationships this year and introduction to double dates had strengthened their sibling bond in a special way. Like they were adulting together.

It hurt her too now when she lied to him. _Bugger_.

Ginny leaned against the wall next her. Resting her cheek against the cold wood she looked up miserably at her insanely taller brother. “Ron,” she breathed, and he inched in closer to hear like when they were younger and telling each other secrets at the Burrow. “Do you ever wish you could say goodbye to Fred?”

Bending down, Ron whispered, “Every day.”

Then, figuring that was the end of the conversation, Ron tugged her into a sloppy hug. It was nice but pushed him back, checking Fred’s expression because Ron’s answer had been the one she needed. Fred wasn’t looking at her, which meant he wasn’t pushing her to tell Ron, but it also meant he wasn’t stopping her.

Ginny held the stone up for Ron to see. “What if you could?”

Ron was confused, of course, but after some sibling telepathic communication she watched the understanding wash over him. “Is that…”

She nodded. “The Resurrection Stone, yes.”

He swallowed. “They warned us about the effects it could have—well, it was a book that warned us, but still…Maybe we should ask Hermione. Did Harry tell you the story of—”

“—the long-term effects, yes. But even Harry used it once, didn’t he? I promise I will turn this in to McGonagall but—Ron. I used it once. Yes, it was by accident, but I certainly don’t regret it and if I got the chance to talk to him one last time, I think all of you deserve that as well.” Her watery eyes pleaded up at him to take the chance. A part of her had been feeling so guilty this past month for being the only person in her family to have experienced this.

It took awhile till Ron finally held out his palm to her. “What do I have to do?”

He was scared, she could tell. They had all prepared to mourn Fred today, but this was so out of the realm of what they had imagined. “Just hold it and think of him,” she said before placing it in his palm.

“Then does he just—” Ron whimpered. “ _Fred?_ ”

**XXXXXXXXXX**

A long while later, Ginny and Ron rejoined their brothers.

“There you are, we were about to go looking for you two!” exclaimed George when he saw the two slowly approaching their table. Ron stayed a couple feet back to get ahold of his splotchy face.

“Hey,” Ginny started and there was something serious in her voice that quieted her brothers, “so, there’s something we need to tell you all…” Bill nodded for to go on, all of them were leaning to listen intently. “A few weeks ago, I was walking around the Forbidden Forest—”

“Smart,” commented Charlie.

“Adventurous,” George amended.

Bill waved his hand in the middle of the Charlie and George to shut them up. “Go on, Ginny.”

“Well, I found something and its—” _Fred?_ Ginny looked hopelessly at George. She didn’t realize she had let out a sob until she felt Ron’s hand on her shoulder. By doing so, Ron had stepped out of the light, allowing his brothers to see his red-rimmed eyes.

“Are you two alright?” asked Bill, worriedly looking between them.

Ginny pulled herself together. “Do you all remember the story Harry told us about how he used the Resurrection stone to talk to his parents right before he ‘died’.” They all nodded. “Well, I found that same stone while I was in the forest. I didn’t realize what it was until I thought of Fred while I was holding it and then he suddenly appeared. _Obviously_ , I need to return it to McGonagall, but I spend the full day talking to Fred and, you know, saying goodbye. Ron just did too when I showed him. So, I was wondering—before I give it back—if any of you wanted to say goodbye too?”

She slid the loosely wrapped stone onto the wooden table. They were all shooting indiscreet glances at George. George, fully sober now, stared at the offering before pulling it towards him. He was careful not to touch the stone without its wrapping just yet.

“Was it really him?” George murmured.

“Yeah, I really thought so, at least,” replied Ginny softly.

George nodded, trusting his sister’s judgement. “I think I’d like to say goodbye,” he finished with a raged breath.

It was another two hours later when George emerged from the private room Rosemerta had let them use. He was quiet and shaky as he took his seat again but at least he appeared to be at peace with the conversation he had just had with his lost twin.

Charlie went next and Bill after him. Percy had said he wanted to go last, and Ginny wondered if it was because he was worried about ruining the rest of the conversations for his brothers. Percy’s conversation definitely ranked the second longest after George’s but Ginny was relieved to see her brother looking much more relaxed than he had before going into the small room. He had lost his rigid posture and fixed them all a small smile before placing the stone back onto the center of the table.

All their faces were now wet and as red as their hair. Ginny wondered if there was more ceremonious way of ending this memorial than by simply pocketing the stone. George made eye contact with her and they were on the same page.

“Alright,” said George, breaking the silence, “everybody now. On last time for the Weasley siblings.”

He and Ginny and led the charge by each placing they pointer to the stone. Their brothers followed suit until they could all plainly see 20-year-old Fred Weasley looking down at them proudly from the end of the table.

“Couldn’t get enough, could ya?”

For a few short minutes they shared their favorite moments as a family. When the conversation started to slow, Ginny thought to ask about their parents and see if Fred had anything he needed to say to them. Fred waved her off and replied that there was no need since he would be seeing their parents soon to which started a squealing chorus of “How soon!?”

Fred assured them that he had been thinking in his all-knowing-being years and that they still had plenty of time with Mum and Dad.

When it came time to start letting go, George hung on longest to say for the last time, “Goodbye, Gred.”

Though she had already let go of the stone, Ginny thought she could hear Fred’s reply of, “Goodbye, Forge,” before George pulled back from the stone.

George reclined back in seat and Charlie wrapped an arm around George. Bill slipped the stone in a tiny leather pouch and clapped Percy on the back in support. Ginny had one arm twisted in Ron’s, the two leaning into each other. They stayed like that for a while in silence.

Until George decided to break it. “So, you found him in the fucking forest—how was that?”

Ginny let out a teary laugh. “Pretty fucking scary.”

They all shared a laugh at the thought, content to lean on each other as they did so.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The next day, on the morning of the anniversary for the Last Battle, Ginny and her two eldest brothers delivered the stone to McGonagall. She ensured them that the upmost security would be put in place to keep the artifact safe from anyone’s temptation.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

“Neville? Can I talk to you?”

Visitors to the school were starting to arrive for the memorial service. Her parents had yet to arrive. It seemed Neville had arrived early to ensure a good seat for his grandmother. They had snagged two seats in the second row right in front of the looming war monument. It stuck out of the ground as a black slab with the names of those who had perished in the Last Battle, as well as anyone who had died in the fight against the Dark Lard during the second war (Harry’s fourth year and on).

Neville seemed pleased to see Ginny when he turned around. “Sure.” He made a brief comment to his grandmother before standing and following Ginny to the back of the benches.

“How are you Neville? How’s the Ministry?” Neville was currently assisting a Herbologist at the Ministry with a research project. Though Ginny could not, for the life of her, memorize the exact wording of the important research they were doing, she was extremely proud of him.

“Good. Really good, actually. I think I might want to stick around there for a while.”

“That’s brilliant, Nev.”

“What about you?” he asked. Though, from the way he was grinning at her she suspected he already knew a bit too well of what had been going on in the castle. “Luna told me all about your fight with Daphne Greengrass and of course I heard all about your announcement that we will cut DA members loose if they don’t behave,” he mocked without any anger. “Corner even sent me a letter afterwards asking if it was even possible to be disowned by the DA.”

“Michael Corner as is my ex-boyfriend?” Neville nodded. “He is such a dumb pillock.”

“Being a Ravenclaw probably fools him into thinking otherwise, but,” he brightened up again, “either way it was a fun letter to read.”

“Did she also tell you that everything is taken care of now?”

“Yes, she did. Another win for the DA, congratulations.”

“I should have asked if you were okay that announcement. We’re co-leaders,” she said sheepishly, just realizing.

Neville shook his head. “That was last year when they needed us and Luna. In my fifth year, it was Harry they needed. This year, it was you they needed as a leader.”

“Thanks, Nev.” She hesitated. “Speaking about last year…” Neville waited patiently. “I having trouble remembering parts and I was hoping you could help me?”

“Are you sure you want to remember?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Alright. Of course, I’ll try to help you.”

Thank goodness for boys like Neville Longbottom. She drew out the next question slowly. “What was my relationship with Malfoy?”

That surprised and confused Neville greatly. His eyebrows went from a wide high to a furrowed low in rapid succession. “You never told me, Gin,” he answered worriedly.

“Never told—“ she shook her head, “Colin and Luna said they had been worried, so I told you and only you what was going on with Malfoy. They said you told them not to worry. They said it was the last time anyone ever spoke of it because at least you knew what I was up to.” _Because the two of us had each other’s backs._

“Because you asked me to,” Neville whispered hopelessly.

“Huh?”

He seemed to be upset with himself now. “We were all worried about you. There were times when you’d get a detention and Malfoy would step in after class if your detention could be with him so he could use you as a spell practice dummy or whatever. The Carrows loved it. Once he even pulled you into his Head Boy’s room for a ‘punishment.’ How do you not remember any of this?”

Ginny’s heart was pounding against her chest now. “Just keep going, Neville. What exactly did I tell you?”

“Nothing,” he said, sounding defeated. “We waited up for you the first couple of times—me, Luna, Seamus, and some of the other DA members who had seen it—but eventually you took me aside and told me I needed to trust you on this. That you weren’t being hurt. You asked me to assure the others like I knew what you were doing.” She touched her temples, looking down at their feet. He had been her last hope. “I’m so-so sorry, Ginny—I-I should’ve pushed harder—”

“No. Neville, it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay!” he cried. She refocused on him and tried to quiet him as they were bringing some of the crowd’s attention to them. “It’s not okay,” he restated in a whisper. “You don’t remember any of this, do you?” She kept her head hung. “Merlin, what did he do to you, Gin?”

“Nothing.” Ginny grabbed onto Neville’s shoulders and stared him hard in the eye. “Because I trust myself, and if I told you nothing was happening to me then it was nothing, okay?” Neville nodded solemnly, not looking quite convinced. “I’ll figure it out, okay? Now, let’s take our seats before this thing starts.”

She gave his shoulders another squeeze and patted him on the back before they parted. He went to rejoin his grandmother and she took a seat next to her parents who had just arrived a few minutes ago.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny’s head was pounding. The service had been nice, she guessed. Not that she had been paying any attention.

She vaguely remembered McGonagall standing in front of the podium, then Kingsley, they had even gotten Harry to say a couple of sentences. It had taken all of her to muster up enough energy to remember to smile at him encouragingly as a dutiful girlfriend. A girlfriend who was panicking inside.

How was she just finding out about this? Why had no one thought her on-and-off-again friendship with Draco was weird this year if they had seen what last year was like. _But they had_ …

Oh dear, Merlin.

There had been more than a few comments. She had been nothing but decent to Draco Malfoy since the beginning of this year. From that very first collision over the quidditch pitch, her team had looked at Draco downright murderously. They had tried to stop her from having a private conversation with him. Dean had even made a comment that he was watching and would be close if she needed him.

She had _laughed_ them all off, thinking it was their loyalty to the sport that had riled them up. Dean hadn’t even been at the school last year so Seamus must have said something to him…

She and Draco had always practiced together early in the morning before any students had reason to be near the pitch. Therefore, no one else in the student body had really seen them together this year.

But even Charlie’s comments had seemed off…

Inserting himself when she was in mid-conversation with someone else had never been Charlie’s style. It was Ron’s. Charlie was usually the brother that didn’t poke too much—things had changed this year.

Ginny looked around at her family. Since the services had ended everybody had broken up into small groups. Bill, Fleur, Ron, and Hermione were in conversation with someone from the ministry. Her parents and Percy were speaking to Kingsley. George and Angelina were catching up with Hogwarts alumni. Harry was getting pulled every which way by attendees.

Charlie was one of the professors in back, helping to sign out underage students who wanted to spend the anniversary with their families off-campus. Ginny strode down the aisle and hooked a hand in Charlie’s robes, pulling him back with her, away from the line of students.

“Yes?” he asked sarcastically as he pointedly bounced the sign out sheet clipboard in his hand.

“Those comments students made against Malfoy that you mentioned—what exactly were they?”

That grabbed his attention. Charlie paused. “They asked for precautions to be made if Malfoy was going to be allowed here as a student again. They said they felt threatened by his presence because he had been particularly…abusive last year. Specifically, to you. They commonly used you as an example.” His hand flinched towards her like he was trying to decide something. Instead, Charlie bent down towards her. “But you don’t remember that, do you?”

She held his gaze. “I do remember. That was what I was expecting to here.” She knew he knew she was lying but she didn’t care. “Tell Mum and Dad that I’ll meet you all at the house later.”

He called after her as she sped away from him towards the castle. She needed some distance.

This was bringing up way too much Tom-Riddle-diary-memory-gap déjà vu shit.

She hurried up step after step until she arrived at her favorite spot in the castle. The alcove just before the owlery. Usually the curtains were pulled closed so you wouldn’t even notice the bench inside. It had a large encompassing view of the lake, just like the Astronomy tower, though this was so much more private and reminded her of her tiny bedroom in the Burrow.

Her sigh of relief, however, quickly turned into her choking on ragged breaths when she realized who was sitting on her favorite bench.

“I knew you would come here,” drawled her own personal devil.

She felt crazed as she fumbled through her robes for her wand, hastily lifting it towards him with her other hand on her tattoo. Draco raised his hands in defense. “Where’s your wand?” she barked.

“In my robes.”

“Take it out and roll it to me. Now.”

He reached into his robes. “ _Slowly!_ ” He slowly withdrew the wand. “ _Keep it pointed down!_ ” He bent to roll it over to her.

“You could’ve _Accio’d_ it,” he offered lightly, as if trying to make a joke.

“ _Don’t tell me what I could’ve done!_ ” she hissed. “I have been nothing but nice to you all year and now I’m getting a lot of reasons from different people suggesting that I shouldn’t have been. So bloody tell me right now why you deserve any benefit of the doubt.”

Draco contemplated how to convince her. “I know this is your favorite spot in the castle because you told me that friend-to-friend.”

Ginny shook her head. “I could’ve blurted that out while being tortured or you could’ve just seen it in my mind when you were practicing Legitimacy.”

 _Stupid, stupid, stupid_. Ginny felt so stupid. She hadn’t told anyone what Draco had done to her. Sure, literally everyone suspected him of having done something, but she had not designated a check-in person like Bill had advised her to.

Harry or any of her brothers would have taken on that responsibility a bit to well instead of letting her figure it out. Luna was a wild card. Hermione seemed like a natural choice, but she would have urged Ginny to trust her mind instead of gut. Even after a month spent brewing the Remembrance potion, Ginny had not told Hermione the truth of why she needed it so badly.

So, she had no one. If Draco messed with her memories again, no one would notice.

She was scared, which she hated and that made her mad. Ginny was angry.

“Where do you get off, huh?” She went on as he tried to think up another way of explaining himself. “Messing with my memories then pretending to be my friend—what are you getting out of this? Some sick obsession of controlling me? Keeping me…pliant?”

“It was never my intention of making you feel that way.”

“Then why?

“I genuinely enjoyed spending time with you. I like to think you did to. Did you ever feel scared liked this when we practiced together?”

“I am not scared.” Yes, she had enjoyed spending time with him. They had flown circles around each other and new just how to make each other better. When she received praise from him, it didn’t feel like it would coming from her brothers where she craved it or from her friends where she expected it. When Draco praised her it was completely unexpected and she knew it to be true because she had earned it. “I just think you need lessons in how to be a better friend.”

His lips twitched and he stared through the wide glass window to the lake. “You used to give me lessons,” he informed her.

“Did I?”

“Yes, rule number one: friendship goes both ways,” Draco repeated dutifully from memory, “you must keep their best interests at heart and do your best to support them as they learn to find what makes them happy.”

“Very good,” Ginny praised sarcastically. “That’s great for you, but do you remember rule number two?”

“Be a good listener?”

“No that’s rule number three, number two is—”

“—don’t lie,” they said as one.

“I’m pretty sure you mixed up the order when you told them to me, then,” he defended himself.

“Bloody whatever,” Ginny cried irate, “the point is you don’t lie to your friends.”

“I did not lie, Ginny,” he insisted. “We both agreed it was best to obliviate your memories of me when we heard what your detention revolved around legitimacy.”

“Then why don’t I remember you at the detention and why the fuck haven’t you given me those memories back,” she pointed out. There was something evil here, everyone was telling her there was.

Then Draco whispered, “I tried.”

He looked too perfect to be lying.

“This wasn’t a simple Obliviation. We spent a lot of time together last year. I kept you updated on the Carrows next moves and you helped me gain traction with them. We were a team of sorts…That being said, there was a lot of memories to erase so that the Carrows wouldn’t find out. If we were caught, one of my parents would have likely been killed for my betrayal…So, we had to add a spell. We pulled out each of your memories of me one-by-one to make them more malleable in your mind, _then_ I obliviated you.

“We used a Disjointment Spell on the memories, didn’t we?” she murmured in horrified understanding.

“Yes,” Draco replied solemnly. “So, when I used the counter-spell for obliviate…it wasn’t enough.”

Ginny lowered herself carefully onto the bench next to Draco. “So, I’ll never get those memories back,” she stated. Draco shook his head. “Why don’t I remember you at the detention, then?” That was the confusing part that had gotten to her during their last conversation.

“After the detention, you only knew me as one of your torturers that night. I couldn’t give you back those memories and you wouldn’t allow me near you long enough to explain. You hated me.” His pewter grey eyes were pleading for her to understand. “Easter break was approaching, and it became more and more apparent that you needed to go into hiding. I couldn’t stomach the idea of your hatred for me festering while we were apart. And then, I figured if we had been able to become such good friends last year, it would be possible again if we both miraculously survived the war. So, I obliviated that part of your detention,” confessed Draco

Ginny was losing herself in the tenderness of his expression as he continued, “I apologize, Ginny. That last one had not been done with your permission.”

 _Aw._ He valued her permission.

Well, technically he was apologizing for not asking her permission— _but at least he was acknowledging what he had done?_

Draco had answered her main questions, albeit she had so many more. _What had their partnership against the Carrows entailed? Exactly how close as friends had they gotten last year—what had she told him?_

Then the Hermione-guardian-angel-in-her-mind reminded her to cover all her bases.

She shook off the facial expression that was saying ‘I sympathize with all your struggles’ and put on a clinical one. “I have one more—well I have many more questions, but there is one more thing I will need to check before we can resume our friend status,” she told him. Draco seemed to perk up at the proposal of friendship. “Earlier today, Neville mentioned that there was this one incident where you pulled me from the corridor and into your Head Boy’s room while hinting at some kind of punishment. I will need to check that memory of what happened after before we can go on.”

Ginny prided herself in her calm demeanor and diplomatic handling.

Draco appeared cooperative.

He nodded. “Of course, I have to warn you though,” he said quietly and suddenly serious again, “the Carrows were looking for you because of the graffiti that was left on the Defense classroom wall, except I found you first. When they arrived, I suggested that I had a few ideas on how to make your punishment more effective. I also have to admit that I was a bit mad at you too for getting caught again. So, I pulled you into by Head Boy’s room and…” Draco exhaled slowly and looked her straight in the eye, “we played a round of chess. I won. By a lot.”

Ginny blinked. Then snorted.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Next Up - Year Two: Ginny and Draco are professional quidditch players on rival teams; Percy searches for love; Ron and Harry Auror it up; and Ginny activates her tatoo for the first time ever!**


	4. Bludger Hit Part 1

**Bludger Hit A.K.A Ginny, Age 18 (Part 1)**

"So, what's your gaydar telling you?"

Percy looked back at his sister alarmed. "I don't believe I have one of those," he admitted, worried.

"Nonsense. You're just overthinking it is all," calmed Ginny. "I should've brought Colin along—he would've been much more helpful than me—but for now, just go with your gut. Who's caught your eye?"

Percy's eyes warily scanned the throes of fit, male quidditch stars scattered throughout the ballroom in front of them. He seemed to be contemplating something and Ginny noticed when his gaze flickered repeatedly to a certain individual.

"You know what? Don't feel pressured right now. How about you go say hi to Oliver—ease your way into conversations—maybe he'll introduce you to someone…"

Percy shook his head dismissively, not meeting her eyes. "No, I don't think that would be…he was always much more the twins' friend than he was mine—"

"You shared a dormitory with the bloke for seven years and you're saying you have nothing to talk about?" _You know you want to_ , she wanted to whisper, but knew that would cause her brother to run.

"Well, no. We've spoken—we've always…It's just-it's been so long since we have."

"So, fix that and you two can remember those times together." Ginny shooed her older brother away from the high-top table they were perched at. "Go on, then."

Ginny watched from a far as Percy awkwardly inserted himself next to Oliver Wood. His embarrassment, she could see, only grew when the two burly quidditch players who Oliver had been in conversation with, stopped speaking when they saw him. As Oliver turned to his side to find Percy, Ginny begged him mentally to be kind.

Thankfully, Oliver broke into a wide smile at the sight of the lanky man and immediately pulled her brother into a bear hug. The sound claps on the back that followed effectively brought forward a faint blush on Percy's cheeks.

Good, thought Ginny. She had done her sisterly duty for the night. Her eyes began to scour the rest of the ballroom. Tonight, was a pre-season event held by the Quidditch league to raise money for muggle-born victims of the second war. Most league players had been wrangled to attend and she was proud to be present as a Harpies representative. Percy had come in place of Harry who had needed to stay late at work. Why Percy? Because he needed to get out. No one, not even Charlie who would try, could refute that.

"Looking for me?" a voice whispered near her ear. She had been.

Without facing the speaker, she answered. "Hardly. I was looking for a friend to chat with. Do you see any of mine around?"

Draco stepped around her, effectively blocking her view of the rest of the gala and stuck an arm out to her. "Don't worry, Weasley. I'll dance with you; save you from the begging."

"Won't your date feel neglected?" she brought up, though she rested her hand in the crook of his arm and let him lead her to the dance floor anyway.

He shrugged. "Astoria is a reasonable person and right now she's busy catching up with Flint, so I have some time to kill."

"Well, I'm flattered," she said smiling up at him brilliantly, "but I thought you liked Flint?"

"I do, but I see him every day. She doesn't and I really don't need to hear him brag about getting the captainship this year," then in afterthought he added, "again." His hand found her waist and they began to sway on the dance floor.

Marcus Flint, former Slytherin and nemesis of Percy and the twins had just been announced the new captain of the Falmouth Falcons. The Falcons had also been the team that Draco had signed on with this year. George had since changed his loyalties from Falmouth to Puddlemere United. The Falcons had apparently been populating itself with too many snakes, according to George.

"And you said Astoria? I'm surprised."

"I thought you liked Astoria?"

"I do, that's why I'm surprised." Ginny did like Astoria. She remembered the girl being one of the few Slytherins pushing the rest of their house toward peace with the rest of the school. That and she had been a brilliant addition to the Room of Requirement. She had helped instill Thursday night dueling. With it, respect among houses had flourished along with a healthy amount of competition. "She's…nice and…logical," Ginny concluded.

"So, you have been reading the gossip columns?" Draco beamed in understanding.

"Oh please, I don't need to read a trashy magazine to not trust your dating choices," she defended again just like she had been doing for the past two weeks every time he brought it up. Draco had achieved newfound fame recently after it was announced that he'd temporarily begin the season acting as the Falcons' starting seeker as their primary recovered from a training injury.

It was his first year and he wouldn't be stuck to the bench with the reserve team like Ginny. Of course, she was jealous, like he loved to remind her. So did every magazine and newspaper as they wondered what was so special about this man who had snagged a starting position on one of the top teams in the league. Pictures of his recent outings had been publicized and seemed to be taking it well. Like it was a compliment or something.

"Relax, Weasley. I'll answer your unspoken question—since you've obviously read the spread Witch Weekly did of me—Yes, it's true, I am quite the commodity these days."

Ginny frowned, wrinkling her nose. "I don't like that word. It sounds so…"

"Slutty?"

"I don't like that one either."

"Neither do I, but you implied it, sweetheart."

Ginny made a bigger face.

"Dear?"

She cringed. "What is this? What are you doing?"

"I'm testing out new insults since you informed me last week that we are now grown up. Weasel or Weaselette just doesn't have the same charm it used to, so—"

"It can't lose what it never had."

"—I'm looking for something that's condescending and place putting, yet subtle to display how sophisticated we've become. How am I doing?"

"I hate them."

"That's the point."

"And artless. What you've discovered is how to condescend women in general. I'm suppose to be special."

Draco nodded dutifully. "I'll keep at it."

"Ferret," a voice called from behind his back, "lay off. It's my turn."

"Though it seems not all of us have grown up," Draco muttered to her before looking over his shoulder at George. "We're in mid-song," he informed her brother, not letting go of her hand or waist.

"Yes, but this is your second song and it just started so…" George made a swatting hand movement, gesturing for the blonde to bugger off.

George didn't appear to be joking so Ginny whispered to Draco that they would talk later. He raised an eyebrow before dropping her arms, making it clear that it was her loss before he disappeared into the crowd. George took his place and they continued dancing with Ginny unsure of what was bothering her brother. Did he have as much of a problem with Draco than her oldest brothers did? The ones who had shown her those trashy articles in the first place. _He reeks of distrust, Ginny_ , they had tried again to tell her.

"Charlie is going to kill you when he finds out you brought Percy to a Quidditch gala full of Harpies instead of him," commented George as he looked everywhere but at her.

"I'll bring Charlie to one of these when he learns how to keep a girlfriend. Besides, he's stuck at Hogwarts."

"You know he would have left in a heartbeat." Then, George caught sight of what he was looking for. "Now keep moving to the left we're almost there."

Confused, Ginny peered to her left and spotted Angelina was dancing with Roger Lynch, the famed keeper of the Falmouth Falcons. "Seriously, George? You're using me to spy on your own girlfriend?"

Ginny was very surprised to see actual worry in her brother's face. "I'm not being paranoid, Gin," George stated in distress. "The season hasn't even started and she's been going to scrimmages just to watch him. I thought I knew the guy's stats considering he's been on top of the league for the past bloody decade, but she knows the stats of his future stats and now they're dancing and she's _smiling_."

She took pity on him. "George, Angie only goes to those scrimmages because I asked her to come with me and she only knows those kinds of stats because I kept talking about them."

George looked more so like a put-out child in that moment than any other time she could remember. "Why, Gin, why? Why would you do that to me? To us? I thought you shipped us?"

"Oh, come off it." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, I ship you two. I would never hurt your relationship, just the Falcons' chance of winning the cup this year."

"What?" He was clearly not in the mood to discuss quidditch right now.

Angie laughed and so Ginny held George's face to keep it from pivoting from her own. "She came with me to the scrimmages so we could study him, so when we face off with the Falcons, we will destroy them and his nearly perfect keeping record."

He absorbed this. "Promise?" he asked hesitantly. She nodded. "No, I mean are you seriously promising to destroy him—them?"

Duh. "Of course." He relaxed and slowly began swaying again to the music. When he let her shift them away from the couple, she took it as a victory. As a reward she told him: "She even called him old the other day."

"Well, yeah," scoffed George, "because he is." Then, looking at her pointedly, he stated, "I'm young," which she knew translated to _I'm better for her than he is._

"I know, George."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny attempted to ignore what had just happened and appear as pleasant as possible as she knocked on the apartment door. After the gala, Ginny had gone to Harry's, figuring he must be back from work at that late hour. However, when she arrived at Grimmwauld Place she found not Harry, but Ron and Hermione in the kitchen with case folder upon case folder strewn out on the table in front of them.

Why Hermione could be briefed on official Auror business and not her, Ginny did not understand. What Ginny did know was that something had rattled the trio to the point that they needed to be pulling an all-nighter and everyone, including ikle Ginny had to be sidelined for a few days. She also knew that her brother telling her to give her boyfriend space was not part of an ideal relationship.

But still she left without waking Harry because she could tell the world was resting on their shoulders. It was their mission and theirs alone to complete. Like always.

It turned out that she had only gone from one boyfriend to another because when she had opened the door to her flat, she found a silk-robed George flouting around lighting candles. Completely undressed underneath. _We thought you were going to Harry's_ , was George's only utterance.

So, Ginny left her own flat like a trespasser because she was the best sister anyone could ask for. And now she was smiling like her sleeping arrangements depended on it. Because it did.

Draco gawked at her from his doorway like the unexpected thing she was. "Weasley? I don't think it's morning yet…"

"How observant of you. It really is a good thing you stuck with quidditch as your career," was her response even though his confusion was warranted. The two had a standing date of running together every Monday and Thursday morning. The two days of the week that they that they both needed the most motivation to get their arses moving. Currently it was 11pm on a Sunday.

She'd be nicer to him if he were wearing a shirt with those pajama bottoms. If Draco caught her checking him out, he'd make fun of her for days. Again. Draco raised an eyebrow, waiting for her.

"I'm letting Angie and my brother use the flat tonight and since we were planning on meeting up early anyway, I was wondering if I could just stay here?" Draco looked hesitantly over his shoulder into the apartment. She blushed in embarrassment. "Oh Merlin. Is Astoria here? She is, isn't she? I'm sorry. _Sorry Astoria!_ —" She tried calling into the apartment before Draco cut her off.

"No-no she isn't. I took her home after the gala."

"Oh…is someone else here?"

"No"

Ginny waited.

"And you tried your boyfriend's…?"

Her look told him to stop asking.

"Right."

She wasn't understanding his hesitation. True, she had never been inside his flat, he'd always meet up with her at hers and never the other way around, but considering how friendly they had gotten in the past six months she didn't think it was too much to ask.

"What? You're not secretly a slob, are you?" He was the most organized and polished person she knew. She'd have a field day if his flat were anything less than pristine. "Are you?" she pressed.

He seemed to be conflicted with himself but threw the door open anyway. "Well…"

"Oh dear." The place was a mess. Furniture was askew and drawers were pulled out with their contents creating a pool of paper and knick-knacks on the floor. This wasn't a mess made by everyday living, this flat had been ransacked. "Who did this?"

"Forgive the mess. Aurors came by this morning and woke me up. When they were done, I had to run to practice and when I got home there was the gala to dress for. I haven't had any time to tidy up."

"Aurors? Why would they do this?"

"Have you forgotten?" He waved his bare left forearm out to her displaying his Dark Mark. No, she had not forgotten it, but she definitely made an effort never to look at it. There were too many bad memories that went with it, but she pretended not to be fazed by the sight. "You were a kid when that happened. It's been a year and a half and you haven't done anything remotely suspicious."

A dark expression clouded over his face. "There was nothing kid-like about this or the people who have them, I assure you. And nothing is going to change the fact that when something rattles the Aurors I'll be one of the first they check off the list."

"Their list?"

"Of known Death Eaters or Death Eater sympathizers who didn't get an Azkaban sentence but really should have."

This was something that had not talked about in a long time. "Draco, the fact that you didn't get a sentence means you don't belong there. Even Harry agrees with that."

"Potter testified because if I had identified them two years ago, they would've died at the Manor. Debt settled. It does not change the fact that I'm not to be trusted."

Ginny sighed. She did not want to listen to two important men in her life fight. "What rattled them anyway?"

"I don't know and I don't plan on ever finding out," he said determinedly. They had had these types of conversations before and she knew how he'd taken precautions from getting mixed up in bad business.

"Right." Then she thought about how tired the trio had been back at Grimmwauld Place. "Were they here? My brother and Harry?" Draco nodded slowly. "You didn't say anything at the gala—about any of this."

"I'd rather not dwell on things out of my control. Not anymore."

That, she understood. "Well, I apologize. That was very rude of them." It was time to shift the mood. "But now I'm here to help you clean up their mess."

"Gin, you really don't have to—"

"I can't sleep in a pig sty now can I? And I'm pretty sure your OCD won't allow you to sleep till everything is in their right angles again, am I right?" He smiled down reluctantly at her. "Right?" She shoved his arm playfully. Then she thought back to their conversation. "Wait—it is okay if I stay here, correct? I'm not intruding?"

"No, not at all. The guest room is the first door to the right. But you'll probably have to piece together the mattress."

"What would you hide in a mattress?"

"Only the darkest of devices." Ginny's brow furrowed in trying to understand the Aurors' thought process. "It was your brother's work."

"Ah."

When Ginny sank into the newly made up mattress that night it was in silk pajamas much too big for her. Draco had asked why she had come already dressed for their run in the morning and she had told him of her plan to sleep in her running cloths. He had been affronted by the notion and went on to explain that there were very good reasons for why people changed their cloths at night, and then again in the morning. It was a mental thing and she would do well to respect it. She could care less, but when she felt the pajamas he thrust at her she shut up because they felt glorious.

Ginny had begun making money this year so why her bed and pajamas at home did not feel like this, she did not know. So, she stretched out on the bed, mattress molding to her form, and snuggled her face into a pillow that smelled like nothing but cleanliness, drinking it all in. Her eyes only opened once more that night, in surprise, when she learned that her posh bastard of a friend was snorer.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

One month later, December came around and Ginny was in pretty much the same spot. The Golden Trio had tightened ranks and Ginny felt like she had only seen rare glimpses of her boyfriend lately. And mentioning that observation had not gone well the day before.

Ginny hated feeling like the bad guy. Like another obstacle for Harry in between him and the greater good. It was cringeworthy to remember how badly he had wanted to get away from her that he fled his own home after a long day, away from the comfort his bed presented, and retreated back to work and her brother.

But that was not what today was about. Because today she was Christmas shopping for friends and family and smiling at various shopkeepers as she went like Harry Potter didn't exist. Luna had confirmed that she'd join her later at the Three Broomsticks for lunch so she could get some unbiased advice then. For now, she entered the age old Quidditch Supplies & Co shop where she could cross off multiple brothers from her gift list.

Ginny quickly greeted Mr. Sommerby, who had been the store's owner since before she was born and turned to the shelves to avoid conversation so the nice man wouldn't be a victim to her happy exterior slipping. Eventually, she found the perfect new pair of gloves for Charlie but knew the type of dragon hide wouldn't do. He was very particular about his dragons.

"Mr. Sommerby, do you have this in a different hide?"

The graying man lifted his spectacles, ready to help one of his most valued customers. He'd been ecstatic to hear of her placement with the Harpies. "Why yes, I just received a few more options actually. There in the back, how about we have a look see?" He pulled open the curtain to the back-room storage and gestured for her come through. "Ladies first."

However, when Ginny passed through the curtain, her surroundings confused her. Before her was an empty alleyway with no trace of the store or Mr. Sommerby.

This is wrong.

Startled, she turned on the spot and was met with a brick wall. She palmed the bricks desperately, not finding any indentation that marked the entrance she had just walked through.

"It's no use," a gruff voice taunted behind her. Before she could reach her wand it was pulled away magically from her pocket and thrown away from her, falling onto the cobblestone ground. When Ginny moved to follow it, she was met with an endpoint of a wand. The sight of the wand's holder had her stepping back into the brick wall with fright.

Fenrir Greyback.

_How was he here? How had he even made it back into the bloody country?_

Harry and Ron had assured the family that Greyback and the other unaccounted-for Death Eaters had escaped past Britain's border. Well, it hadn't really been assuring but the comfort was in knowing that if these individuals ever attempted to get back into the country, the Weasleys would be one of the first families notified.

At least that's what Harry had said.

_Was this what had gotten the Trio so stressed these past few months?_

"Hands," Greyback ordered. Ginny's hand that had been drifting to her tattoo froze. "Now." Ginny raised both her hands to head height. Greyback approached her with barely subdued anticipation. Her back was already flat against the brick wall. She had no where to go. Greyback carefully used the tip of his wand to brush a stray red lock behind her ear. She cringed when she could feel his breath against her face. "I've wanted another Weasley for so long and now I have the littlest one," he told her gleefully. "Let's take a look at you, my treat."

"Please-please don't…" she whimpered, attempting to sound as pitiful as possible. She willed her eyes to fill with unshed tears. It seemed to be working as he grew less concerned with keeping his wand trained on her. She was shaking against his touch as he pulled back her outer robes to view her tight-fitting blouse and trousers.

"I'll need to proportion out my meals," he speculated, "sometimes I feast for too long and there aren't leftovers for the next day—but not this time—no, you I'll want to savor…"

As he became more engrossed in his meal planning, his wand dropped lower and lower. Once it was pointed to the ground, forgotten, she made her move. With all the strength she could muster, she swiftly kneed the werewolf and socked him soundly in the eye like her brothers had taught her as kids.

Greyback wailed and reached for his crotch. Ginny dashed toward where her wand laid.

A hand wrapped around her ankle, pulling her world out from under her.

She hit the cobblestone hard. Her wand was only an arm's length away. She reached out only for her wrist to be stomped on by a foot. She gasped at the pain. Then felt long nails rake her scalp before she was tugged up solely by her hair and shoved against the brick wall once more.

All of this really hurt.

Her cries of pain were stifled by a large hand gripping her neck. She was now straining to hold herself up by her tiptoes as Greyback choked her with one hand. "…you…sick…fuck" she bit out with the venom she wanted him to see.

For a moment, his body simply stood shaking against hers and she wondered with a jolt if he was _transforming_ … _But it wasn't even dark out yet?!_ She squirmed, terrified until she saw his face only to realize he was laughing at her.

"I knew you were going to be more fun than that, Weasley. Your brother definitely was…Now let's see…"

Before she could see what was happing, she felt it: Her stomach getting ripped in two by Greyback's long, razor-sharp nails. She screamed and fought against his grip to no avail. There were real tears streaming down her face now. Through her blurred sight, she watched Greyback lick her blood off his nails.

"You taste like him too," he informed her, "but you'll be so much better with all of this soft flesh." He hummed in appreciation before nuzzling the skin underneath her collarbone.

Her fingers desperately found her tattoo. Against the hand that held her neck, she croaked out, "…help."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Many miles away at Hogwarts, Charlie Weasley oversaw the last round of detentions before the holiday break. In front of him were two students, Justin Flinch-Fletchy and Lisa Turpin, shoveling dung from the various creature enclosures. Lisa Turpin, Charlie noticed, had this funny habit of bending down at the same angle for each pile so that her bum was consistently in Charlie's line of sight. This would have made Charlie uncomfortable had it not been for the obvious fact that this was only being done to fuel the jealousy radiating from Justin next to her.

The thing that _was_ concerning Charlie was sitting right next to him.

Sarah was a seventh-year Ravenclaw that was currently asking him questions about a paper due _after_ the break. He had deduced about a half hour ago that she was flirting with him as she had hit all of the warning signs that Ginny had trained him to look for.

But it wasn't the flirting that was bothering him, it was the fact that he was thinking about reciprocating.

Meaning flirting with a girl that was younger than his baby sister. And his student.

 _How had it come to this?_ He wondered. He had consistently been in relationships when he lived in Romania, but living at the school had not left him with many options. Maybe it was time for another career shift. He had moved back to England to be closer to his family after the war but now that Ginny had graduated and Bill had gone back to his job at Gringotts, Hogwarts wasn't checking off that family goal anymore.

Charlie contemplated this as Sarah tried to think of another question to ask. He jumped when he felt his dragon tattoo breathing fire over his skin. _Ginny._

"I need to go," he said, quickly excusing himself.

" _No!_ Wait, I'm so sorry Professor—" Sarah began to plea right before Charlie's fingers pressed against the tattoo. Justin and Lisa turned around at the sound of their professor being Portkey'd away.

"See!" Justin yelled to his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend, "I told you you were making him uncomfortable!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Ginny's tears replenished when she saw her brother appear. _Shite_. Charlie quickly assessed the sight of Fenrir Greyback choking his bleeding sister and blasted the werewolf away. Ginny slid to the ground and gasped from the lack of oxygen.

"He-he was going to e-eat me!" she heaved out.

Charlie kneeled down and grabbed her hand. "Let's get you out of here," he said.

Ginny closed her eyes, expecting to be apparated away. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and noticed Charlie had a weird look on his face. "Charlie?" He toppled down on top of her and began spasming uncontrollably in her arms. "Charlie!" Past his shoulder she could see a dagger sticking out from his right bicep, no doubt cursed.

Past that, Ginny spotted the Mr. Sommerby impersonator standing farther down the alley looking over the knocked-out Greyback. Ginny now knew for sure that this Mr. Sommerby was a fake because the real owner of Quidditch supplies would have never sent a Harpy to her death or injure someone as quidditch-enthused as her brother.

"…ap-app-apparate…" Charlie stuttered into her ear through the spasms. Ginny grabbed her fallen wand and held onto her brother.

Nothing happened.

"I-I can't. There must be anti-apparation wards set up here," she realized. Charlie could only grunt his disapproval.

As she desperately searched down the intersecting alleys to evaluate her options, she accidently made eye contact with the fake Sommerby. She sent her signature reducto his way. Before he could react, she utilized his distraction to drag her now useless and heavy brother around the nearest corner and out of the line of fire. It wasn't long before she heard footsteps and had to fire out spells from her corner to keep the Death Eater back. He returned fire.

They were stuck.

There was no way she could levitate Charlie and duel at the same time. Dragging the heavily muscled man any farther was also not an option. She quickly peeked her head out. _Shite_. _Shite_. _Shite_. Greyback's hands were twitching. She ducked to miss a curse and sent one straight back. Ginny figured her only chance was to win this duel before Greyback woke up so she could levitate Charlie and find the perimeter of the wards.

_And where in the buggering hell was Bill?_

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Back at the Burrow, Bill Weasley inspected himself in the upstairs bathroom mirror. On days like this, Bill felt like an old man. He'd been playing a friendly pick-up game with his brothers when George had decided he wanted to prove he still had it by pummeling a bludger with all his might.

Straight into the side of Bill's face.

Some blood had been lost, especially where it had collided with his fang earring but not enough to go to the hospital. Taking one more look before he was satisfied, he reached out to pick up his fang earring lying on the side of the sink. However, upon touching it he swore at the heat it was emitting and dropped the earring into the sink basin.

Then he realized why it was burning.

 _Ginny_. Shite.

He had no way of knowing how long it had been since she activated it but could only hope Charlie had gotten there in time. With a pop he let the earring take him to his sister.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

The first thing Bill saw upon materializing at his destination was the scared face of his baby sister as she looked up at him from her crouched position beside a large dumpster. Was she hurt?

Bill didn't have time to find out because upon his appearance Ginny's eyes widened in fright before she jumped out of hiding and threw up a shield charm.

"Look out!" she screamed before effectively deflecting a curse that had been seconds away from hitting his back. When Bill turned and saw what they were up against, he froze.

Fenrir Greyback was someone Bill thought about frequently. Whenever he looked in the mirror or when he took a shower or in bed when Fleur would lazily trace the gashes that marred him—the reminder of him was there. Bill knew he was lucky. He knew the only reason he had survived that night, the night that Dumbledore died, was because the Death Eaters had been in a hurry to leave the castle.

That being said, Bill had more than enough reason to be furious over the fact that this man wasn't rotting away in Azkaban. But the fact that he was now threatening his little sister's life caused that fury to boil over, only outweighed by the sense of panic that shot through him when Ginny appeared ready to duel.

Shield in place, he held an arm out to her. "Take my hand," he called out.

In his peripheral vision, he could tell she was shaking her head. "Tried that. Anti-apparation wards." She shot out a spell after deflecting one from a man who looked very much like the cheery Mr. Sommerby of Quidditch Supplies & Co. "And we can't leave Charlie."

"Charlie?" Bill did not see his brother anywhere.

"Around the corner. He's hurt."

Bill did not like how scared she sounded in that moment. If this were just a duel, she would not have let her fear show but this was Ginny scared for a member of their family. For all Bill knew, Charlie could very well be fighting for his life as Ginny was desperately trying to focus on the threat at hand.

What Bill knew for sure was that he could not take losing another younger sibling and he needed to get them out of there.

So, they dueled.

Ginny took on the Mr. Sommerby look-a-like, while Bill went head-to-head with Greyback.

It wasn't long until they heard a distinct, garbled scream of pain from around the corner. _Charlie_.

"Hang on!" Ginny screamed. Bill wasn't sure if it had been directed to their brother, herself, or had been a plea to some other force to please let their brother be okay, but when he chanced a glance at her, he could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. He would've been worried had it not been for the shade of red in her face. She was mad—as mad as he was for having been put in this situation.

So, after she deflected the next curse from Sommerby, she sent three stunners in quick succession. The third struck him and she didn't hesitate before disarming and binding the Death Eater in disguise until he was fully incapacitated.

Turning to their main opponent, Ginny raised her wand to join in the duel alongside her brother. Bill smiled in anticipation; _they were going to finish this_.

Then, he saw Greyback's face as the werewolf held up a shield keeping the siblings at bay. Greyback stood there bloody grinning at them before he appeared to dissolve into black smoke.

When the smoke rose, Bill deflated. He had wanted to end this once and for all. Now the werewolf was running and once again they'd all be looking over their backs. However, he did not expect his sister's cry of protest or to see her sprint down in the direction of the black smoke overhead of them. The realization of what was happening snapped him into action.

They were racing towards Charlie.

" _Leave him alone!"_

Bill rounded the corner just in time to see Ginny throw herself fully over what could only be their brother's body and cast a shield before Greyback materialized above them, slashing at Ginny's/Charlie's face. The shield stopped him. Ginny whimpered under the pressure of Greyback's arm. The force of his swipe and length of his nails had been enough to scrape her cheek, but her shield held him there, preventing him from going any deeper as his single nail stung painfully into her cheek. Beneath her, she could hear Charlie muttering expletives into her ear, ordering her to get out of there.

Ginny closed her eyes and focused on her shield, which thankfully wasn't needed for long before Bill took the opportunity to blast the werewolf far, far away from his siblings. Ginny's cry of pain alarmed him, but he made sure to throw another curse towards the lump before turning back to his siblings.

Satisfied Greyback would stay down, Bill could see that Greyback's nail had apparently cut deep across Ginny's nose when he had been flung back. Other than that, Ginny looked alright and most importantly, alive.

"Gin," their brother croaked below her. Bill carefully picked his sister up to get a better look at Charlie.

He did not look good.

His breathing was uneven and once Ginny was pulled off him, his body began spasming uncontrollably.

"Charlie," Ginny whispered helplessly as she kneeled down next to her brother, not knowing what to do for him. Charlie's face was too contorted from the pain for him to look up at his siblings.

Bill shot a Revealing Charm into the sky above and watched the ripples reveal the perimeter of the wards that encased them until he saw the ending in sight. "Levitate him," said Bill. Ginny welcomed the command. "I'll watch our backs. We need to get to the end of this alley to apparate."

Within seconds, Ginny was jogging with their brother hovering in front of them. "Here!" Bill stopped her. "We're out of the wards." Ginny gently lowered Charlie to the ground and Bill crouched low to grasp his brother's arm. "Hold onto both of us," Bill ordered. Ginny held Charlie's hand with her left and wrapped her right arm tightly around Bill's. She felt the pull of apparation but became confused when she felt grass.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw that they had landed on the outskirts of the Burrow, not the hospital.

"…What?" Charlie was in too much pain.

"I'll take him. Tell them to meet us at St. Mungo's," said Bill, nodding to where the rest of their brothers were flying in the distance. "They need to get somewhere safe in case there's another attack."

Ginny looked past the pitch to find what Bill had been squinting at—Fleur and Victoire at the picnic table with their parents. When she looked back at Bill, the implication was clear—he needed her to take care of his family so that he could take care of their brother.

She nodded quickly before taking off in the direction of their family. Behind her, she heard the distinct pops of her brothers apparating away and kept her focus on flagging down George or Angelina who were nearest in the air.

To be clear, Ginny was not running. She was sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her, as if all of her family's lives were on the line. It had been nearly two years since the war, and they had just started coming to terms with Fred's death. They could not suffer through that again.

Above, she could see George's face light with laughter as he sped circles around his girlfriend who was also laughing. Fortunately, he stopped short when he saw his sister speeding down the orchard, waving frantically and screeching something that distinctively sounded like " _Death Eaters_!"

George shot down to her. "Death Eaters," she wheezed. "Charlie's injured," breath, "everyone needs to get to—" breath, " St. Mungo's," breath, "now." Ginny stayed crouched trying to catch her breath. "Go! Tell everyone!" She yelled when George didn't move. He hesitated in his surprise but sped off at her urging.

Angelina, who had followed George, offered the end of her broom, to Ginny. "Hop on," said Angie.

Angelina sped them back to Ron and Percy in the air to tell them the news as George had flown directly to Fleur and their parents. Ginny could see Fleur hastily scooping up Victoire and her parents hesitating before allowing George to usher them into the Burrow, no doubt concerned with being the first to leave before their children.

Upon hearing Angie, Ron bolted towards Hermione, picking her up onto the broom with ease as everyone made their way Floo. At the font door, Ginny hopped off the broom and followed Angie past the threshold and into the family room.

She saw Percy standing in the fireplace just before Flooing away. Ron and Hermione gestured for Angie to go next as Ginny thankfully noted that her parents, Fleur, and Victoire must have already gone through.

"Where's George?" asked Angie, knowing her boyfriend wouldn't go through without making sure she did first.

"Upstairs. He's getting Bill," replied Ron.

"No!" Ginny swore. "Bill's fine, he's already at the hospital. Ang go—I'll get George," Ginny directed before rushing away to the staircase. As she climbed up, she screamed out for her brother. " _George!_ George get down here! He's not there!"

As she rounded the corner for the next fleet of stairs, George, who had been running as well, crashed into her, nearly sending her tumbling back down the steps. He caught her small frame easily and pulled back with his hands on her shoulders to look her in the eye.

"I can't find Bill," he said breathlessly, and she could see the panic in his eyes.

"He's already at St. Mungo's with Charlie."

"Is it bad?"

" _Not now._ We're the last ones— _let's go!_ " She took George's hand in hers and pulled him down the stairs. When they reached the last steps, Ron looked up from his position from the kitchen window, scanning for trespassers.

"Ron— _go! We're right behind you!_ "

Ron nodded at the sight of George and ran back to the family room to jump into the Floo. Apparently, Ron had been able to convince both Angie and his girlfriend to go ahead as it was just the three of them left in the house. After Ron erupted into a mess of green flames, George prodded her forward. She threw the powder down and uttered, "St. Mungo's," before she felt the familiar pull sucking her up. A second later, she was spit out into the familiar arms of her family.

George arrived right after and it was only then that she let herself burrow her head into her mother's embrace, letting the relief wash over her as Molly inspected the scratches on her face.

" 'here ees Bill?" Fleur asked sharply looking from George to Ginny, scared for their response.

Ginny pulled away from her mother. "He's—"

"—right here," Bill finished for her as he walked up to the group. Fleur let out the breath she had been holding before hugging her husband close with their daughter between them, all the while exclaiming in rapid French. Though tired, Bill also seemed greatly relieved to see his family.

"Bill?" Arthur spoke up, "George told us that Charlie was injured? Is he…"

"He should be fine. They're stabilizing him now, but from the quick scan I did of him I don't think there'll be any permanent damage."

The family felt like they could breath easier for a moment, but there were still so many questions.

"I don't understand," Molly exclaimed. "I thought Charlie was at the school—how did Death Eaters get in there with all the protections that Minerva added?"

"Charlie wasn't at Hogwarts when it happened…but I'll explain everything in a minute…right now—" Bill turned to his sister, "Ginny. Charlie said you were injured before the Healers took him away…"

Her mother gasped. " _Ginny_ …" Molly trailed off pointing to her daughter's feet. Everyone looked down to find the small puddle of blood forming at Ginny's feet.

Curious herself, Ginny slowly pulled back her outer robes to reveal her blood-soaked blouse. Ginny barely heard her family's horrified cries as she stared at herself in shock. _Was that really her stomach?_ Ginny asked herself, confused, because there was a _really large_ gash running through it. Much larger now than the slash she remembered Greyback giving her in the alley. And so much blood…

_How was she even standing right now?_

Just moments ago, she had been dueling and running for her life. _And wow had she just run super fast or what?_ Well, of course she did because it was for her family.

But…"everything's okay now," she said.

_We're all safe._

This was what her mind told her body. Then the adrenaline stopped, and her mind let out a sigh of relief before her body shut down.

Her family's screams for a Healer was the last thing she heard before she passed out into George's awaiting arms.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When Ginny Weasley awoke in St. Mungo's it was to the faces of everyone she had ever known.

At least it felt that way.

First, it was Harry's. When she first opened her eyes, his glasses may as well have been rubbing against her nose. She immediately recoiled from the closeness-not because it was him, specifically. However, when she did register that it was her boyfriend, she did emotionally recoil.

Choosing not to confront that first, she took in the rest of her surroundings. Harry sat back in his seat at the realization that he had scared her, allowing her to see others that sat worriedly around her bedside. Her mother sat opposite to Harry on her left, wringing a damp cloth between her hands, which Ginny guessed had been on her head moments ago. Ron and Hermione were at the end of her bed and Luna sat next to Harry. Her father walked up when he heard her stir, peering over his wife.

"Is she awake?" a voice called behind her mother.

Molly shifted so Ginny could see the bed next to hers. Her brother appeared exhausted but at least it looked like the spasms had ended.

"Good," said Charlie. "You had us worried there, Little Bit."

Bill, who was standing beside Charlie's bed, was watching her intently. George stood next to him. In the far corner of the room, Ginny noticed Fleur and Angelina, giving space to the immediate Weasley family.

"Percy wanted to be here too but he's helping Kingsley with the press right now. They've been a bit…unruly," Molly informed her.

Ginny grunted in acknowledgement, causing her to groan right after at the pain in her abdomen that the vibrations caused.

Then she remembered why she was there. Greyback. Right.

Slowly, she peeled back her bed sheets before her mother could protest and rolled up her hospital robe to look at the damage. Under the robe, her stomach was covered with bandage upon bandage.

"They'll take longer to heal than most wounds," Bill recounted quietly from experience as everyone watched her take this in, "but at least he didn't bite you. Considering today is a full moon—that's a very, very good thing."

Ginny hesitated to ask as she fingered the bandages. "You mentioned there were still side effects from yours…"

Bill nodded. "Your sense of smell will change, and you'll most likely crave rare steak on days like this…There are a few other quirks, but we can talk through them later…" _Not with the rest of the family here_ , was the unspoken implication that Ginny heard.

"What happened?" Harry asked desperately from her right. "Bill and Charlie recounted everything that happened after they arrived but what about before that? Why were you in Knockturn Alley?"

Ginny hoped her face was as expressionless as possible when she looked at her boyfriend. "I wasn't. I was shopping for Christmas presents in Quidditch Supply on Diagon Alley when the store owner—the normal looking store owner who was probably Polyjuice'd—suggested I take a look at the supply in the back. When I walked through a curtain everything seemed to dissolve into an alleyway. I didn't know it was Knockturn Alley till you told me."

Ron, for some reason, chose to chime in. "So, he told you to follow him into the back of the store and you just did it? Just like that? You didn't think maybe it was a bit weird?"

"Of course, it felt a bit weird, but Mr. Sommerby has always been a weird fellow, hasn't he? And I've always trusted the real one—"

"Still you kind of just walked into the trap—"

"So, this is my fault?"

"Looks like it— _Ow!_ "

Ron cut off when Hermione slapped him hard over the shoulder. "Shut up, Ron. Ginny doesn't need this right now," Hermione whispered heatedly as Ron rubbed his shoulder.

"But—"

"Hermione's right. Shut up, Ron," seconded Bill. He did not want his sister to feel guilty over this or else she might never again use her tattoo.

When Ron did, Harry spoke directly to her. "Don't worry. We're not going to let this happen again. There'll be an Auror with you always from now on—"

"No—"

"—and we'll work with the Harpies to see if there's a way for you still to play—"

"Of course, I'll be playing!" One of there starting chasers had hurt her arm just last week! Next month was all Ginny's to start and play in her first professional match. "And I certainly don't need a babysitter."

He was tired. Ginny could tell. He had been so busy lately that she had barely seen him in the last week, but it appeared he hadn't gotten much sleep. However, it didn't take away her anger from the situation.

As he ruffled his hair again, he pleaded with her, "Ginny, just trust me—"

"I don't." When he met her gaze, she poured everything she could into her expression: _Will you ever trust me like you do Ron and Hermione? I hate how small I feel when you think I need a babysitter. Is that how you see me? As weak?_

"Did you know Greyback and his lot were back in the country?" She asked, knowing that he wouldn't know how to answer.

 _I don't know how to be your girlfriend anymore_ , was what she wanted to say.

She wasn't sure what he saw in her face—maybe he had heard her thoughts or maybe there was too much disappointment written all over her because he stood and left the room quickly after that. She knew she was being mean, but she couldn't feel bad about it now when there was so much anger in her. As she stared at the ceiling, she realized how quiet the room had gotten. No one had told her off for how she had treated Harry, not even her mother. Then, it hit her.

"You all knew, didn't you? Every one of you knew but me." Silence was all the confirmation she needed.

But she had already fought a werewolf today and there was some shaky trauma within her leftover, so Ginny knew if she got in a fight now, she'd just become a blubbering mess.

She looked down the bed to Ron and Hermione. "You two should go check on him." _Please leave_.

Hermione nodded. "Could I take your memory first, so we can review it?" asked Ron. Ginny agreed. He collected the memory, dropping it in a vial, before he and Hermione left the room.

"Mum how about you check on them and make sure they get some food. Make sure you get some food too." _Please go or else I might yell at you and I really don't want to yell at you, Mum._

With her father's help, both her parents left the room. There wasn't much she could do about the rest of the room, so she shifted her attention to Luna. Now that Harry was gone, Ginny had an unobstructed view of her and noticed her friend was holding a rectangular device that she had seen muggles holding and inside the rectangle she saw…"Luna, is that Colin?"

"Yes! Hello, Ginny, it's me!" The Colin in the rectangle waved. Her remaining brothers took their cue to go back to their previous conversations.

"…what?"

"It's a cellphone," he told her, assuming she was confused about the device.

"I know, I took Muggle Studies," she said dismissively, "but I thought you just talked into it?"

"Cell phones can do a lot of different things," Colin informed her. "What we're doing right now is called FaceTime—so we can see each other while we talk. Wicked, right?"

"Wicked, yes." Ginny was extremely happy to see Colin again considering he had taken off traveling after graduation, and she was surprised to be able to see him so clearly instead of dealing with the usual blurred fireplace flame image. With this, she could see everything in Colin's room, including Colin's nearly butt-naked travel companion, Terry Boot, who was moving around in the background. "Luna, I didn't know you had a cell phone?"

"It's Hermione's," replied Luna. "She let me borrow it because Colin kept texting her saying the patronus I sent him was inadequate."

"I heard you were hurt and like Luna I needed to see exactly what that meant and how bad," Colin elaborated.

She was touched. "Thanks, Col."

"Neville wanted to be here too, but he had to check on Hannah," Luna told her.

"Of course, _ugh_ —" Ginny clutched her side as another stab of pain shot through her.

"Why are you leaning on your left side, isn't that where most of the damage is?" Colin noticed, squinting.

"Yeah, but—wait how do you know that?"

"This is a hospital room and you were asleep. There wasn't much else for Luna and I to look at."

"You looked under my shirt?" asked Ginny, affronted.

"Well, personally, I would have rather looked under Charlie's shirt, but Luna didn't want to risk it for some reason, right Lu?" Colin waggled his eyebrows up toward the corner of the device toward Luna, whose cheeks were sporting a pink twinge.

Charlie turned towards them at the mention of his name. "What was that?"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When Draco Malfoy received the news that Ginny Weasley was _not okay_ , he was sitting in a booth at the Leaky Cauldron catching up with his mates from Hogwarts. Blaise was back from Italy. Pansy and Adrian had traveled back from Merlin-knows-where-they-went-to. And the Greengrass sisters were always in the mood to meet up with their favorite old classmates.

Though they were far more than old classmates. This group had grown up together, survived the scrutiny of both sides of the war after watching their families be torn apart by it, and managed to make it out with some of their gold intact.

Pansy was halfway through recounting an interaction that she had with a some shabby-haired store-owner in Paris who was rude to her—which of course they were because Pansy was always the first to call them things like 'shabby-haired'—when Neville Longbottom burst into the pub.

Draco was the first of his friends to notice the new arrival. Neville took no notice of the booth Draco shared, instead his eyes were fixed on the woman behind the bar, whom he strode to with great intention.

Once said woman was in Longbottom's arms, Draco recognized her to be Hannah Abbott. Apparently these two now had an awfully close relationship because Longbottom couldn't stop proclaiming how relieved he was to see she was alright.

Too relieved. Meaning something bad had just happened.

Through some intense listening and craning of the neck, Draco caught the words, 'Ginny,' 'Greyback,' and 'St. Mungo's.' It was not sounding good.

Longbottom finished telling Abbott that there was a Ministry official scheduled to arrive to strengthen the security wards on the pub, then excused himself to the loo. After a moment, Draco excused himself from the table.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When Draco arrived at St. Mungo's, he was in no mood for anything but answers. He strode up to the Healers' station and made his impatience clear. "I'm looking for a patient with the last name Weasley." The Healer to whom he addressed stared back for a moment. Where was the sense of hurry? _This was a hospital where people died for Merlin's sake! "_ Please and thank you," his voice clipped.

The Healer gazed down at his clipboard for what felt like an excruciatingly long time to Draco until replying. "Charlie Weasley is in room 308 for damage to—"

"NO! Not that Weasley! I don't care about him—I'm looking for _Ginny_ Weasley! The _female_."

"Well, it's nice to hear you care about one of us, I guess." Draco turned sharply to find Bill Weasley standing behind him.

Talking to Bill Weasley had always been awkward for Draco. It had been awkward as a former Death Eater to Order member and as a student to professor, but it was especially awkward now as a man to the older-brother-of-a-friend-who-happened-to-be-a-girl. Not to mention Draco was also to blame for the man's scars. Damn, that must have really hurt.

But Draco needed to see Ginny.

So, he nodded in respect to Bill. "Weasley." He looked back at the Healer he had been yelling at. "My apologies," he said to save face with Ginny's brother, then turned back to Bill. "Is she alright?"

Bill nodded wearily. "She's been through worse."

His expression gave nothing away but knowing the Weasleys, Draco knew that this probably meant Bill was holding his emotion in and was about to burst. It was usually adorable on Ginny but much less so on her brothers. Draco did not want to get caught in it, so he strode forward meaning to pass Bill when the curse breaker stepped in his way.

Too late.

Draco stuffed his anger down knowing that he needed to diffuse the situation. "Is she in there?" he said pointing to the patient room that Bill had obviously come from.

Bill shrugged. "Maybe."

"Excuse me." Bill didn't make any move to get out of his way and they were currently standing way too close for Draco's liking.

"It'd be best if you stay away from my sister right now, Malfoy."

"Best for whom?"

"For everyone."

"Ginny is my friend," he explained tightly. "I have never meant her any harm."

"So, you can honestly tell me you've never used the Cruciatus on her?" Draco stilled and Bill's nostrils flared in the hatred he seemed to have been keeping bottled in for a while. "Or Imperio'd her?"

Apparently, Hogwarts students had talked.

"There really wasn't much of a choice that year."

"Someone else made you do it, huh? That's every Death Eater's favorite excuse. Admit it. You tortured her and made sure she couldn't even remember how bad." Draco's head snapped toward Bill's. "Yeah, we know about that."

So, he hadn't been imagining the hostility he had felt these past months whenever he'd see a Weasley brother. "Then you know that I've been very honest with her about that."

"Doubtful."

"Look, Weasley you don't know me very well—"

"No, but what I do know is that somebody knew exactly where and when Ginny was going to be today in order to get ambushed and my brothers tell me you two have gotten very chummy—"

"Bill!" yelled a voice that was most certainly Ginny's from behind the patient door. " _Bill!_ "

Draco smirked, tired of playing nice after that accusation. "She sounds angry with you, maybe because she can tell that I'm here."

"Better angry than dead," Bill concluded. "Now get out of here before I have my Auror brother arrest you."

Draco stepped back and noticed a blonde woman that he remembered as Fleur Delacour standing a few feet away from them, waiting to comfort her angry husband. He turned around and began walking back the way he came knowing he had lost but had, at least, gained the knowledge that she was okay. When he looked back over his shoulder, he saw Bill speaking to Healers.

 _Probably telling them not to allow me through_ , thought Draco. _Maybe Ginny will yell at them for me_ , he hoped.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After Luna wished her well and offered a wistful, drawn-out goodbye to a confused Charlie, things seemed to die down. Hermione smartly kept Harry and Ron away for the time being. Molly confirmed that the three had gone to get something to eat, which prompted Arthur to suggest they do the same. Molly only conceded when Bill and George promised to stay in case anything happened. Her parents left with the promise that they'd check in again before visiting hours were over.

Bill left soon after to collect snacks for the remaining group. It was then that Ginny heard a familiar voice in the hall that was calling her name. "…Draco?" she wondered aloud.

Yes, that was definitely him speaking to one of the Healers and now she could hear Bill talking to him too. "That's Draco out in the hall," she said to the rest of the room, "he's looking for me."

"Maybe he's here to see if the job got done…" muttered Charlie so quietly that Ginny barely caught it.

She rounded on her brother. " _What was that?_ " Ginny questioned dangerously, always ready to defend a friend. "What did you just say, Charlie?" Charlie remained silent. George focused on the floor. "That's what I thought," she said bitterly. Ginny turned to her roommate. "Angie, can you tell Draco I'm in here?"

At first, Ginny thought it was an easy enough ask from one of her closest friends—then she noticed her teammate's internal struggle.

"Um…I'm not sure that's him, Gin," said Angelina meekly.

"That's definitely him, Ang," Ginny stated in a hard voice. George and Angelina shared a look. " _Angelina!_ "

George scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, caught between not wanting to stand in the way of his girlfriend making her own decision and clearly not wanting her to bring Malfoy into the room. Angelina glanced back-and-forth between the siblings but made no move to get up.

Ginny let the betrayal show on her face before turning to her sister-in-law.

"…Fleur?" Fleur smiled back at her weakly. However, when Bill's voice rose on the other side of the wall and became gruff, Fleur did stand, but more so out of concern for her husband.

"I vill calm em down," Fleur assured, trying to sound helpful before leaving the room.

When the voices did not lower in volume, Ginny needed to make herself known. "Bill! _Bill!_ " Ginny groaned into the bunk. The vibrations of her screams felt like they were ripping right back into her wounds.

"Ginny. You're hurting yourself."

Ginny looked back at her brother incredulously. "Yes, Charlie. _See_ what I have resorted myself to because of my very unhelpful family!" _Had she or had she not literally shielded this guy with her body just a few hours ago?_

The voices in the hall had hushed and Ginny could no longer identify Draco's voice in the mix. " _Bill!_ "

Bill popped back into the room with a fake smile. "Yes?"

"Where's Draco? What did you say to him?"

"Ginny, calm down. You're hurting—"

"—yourself. Yes, I'm aware and it's your fault, Bill!"

"Are you sure about that? Who exactly knew you were going to Quidditch Supplies today?

"Everybody! My teammates, my friends, everybody in this room—bloody everybody knew! When I have something that I need to do like Christmas shopping, I go around and tell everyone to make sure it actually gets done!"

"And how many of those people have the Dark Mark?" Bill quietly asked.

Ginny eyes flashed. That wasn't fair. "This is ridiculous."

Charlie attempted to mediate between his two siblings. "Can you really blame us? You were scared of him last year and then never told us what changed. Do you remember that?" Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm seriously asking if you remember that," Charlie reiterated sincerely.

"Yes, I do remember and all you need to know is that I trust him now."

"Look," said Bill, "we agree that we might be wrong—" Ginny scoffed, "but we're not taking any chances right now. As long as you're here in this hospital, he's not allowed in here."

"Fine," she bit out before gritting her teeth and pushing herself up painfully into sitting position. She'd leave this hospital injured if she had to.

"Stop it!" snapped Bill. Ginny did stop—not because Bill's tone held any authority over her, but because it really, really hurt. Honestly, if they hadn't protested her leaving it would have been embarrassing how short of a distance she'd be able to make it. "Stop being a brat and lie still before we need to get the Healer back to redo your bandages."

Ginny could see Bill's wolf coming out. She recognized that spark in his eye and the way he growled his words. Tonight, was a full moon after all. The siblings all knew these were the days that meant shove off Bill, but there was something inside her now that wasn't allowing her to and it was the same thing that caused her next words to match his growl.

"Just this once, I'm asking you all to trust me."

"We do trust you. It's your memories we don't trust—like the diary all over again," Bill commented without thinking, too far into his impulsive wolf.

"Don't—" her voice croaked.

And just like that her inner wolf turned into a retreating cub. From the very beginning when Draco made his confession, she had had this inner fear of re-living the diary. Loosing gaps of time and not knowing what had been done to her or what she had done to others. Trusting in the wrong person and allowing that person to take over her reality. Ginny had struggled to trust in anyone after the diary. It had taking everything for her to choose to trust Draco.

Like she had once trusted Tom Riddle.

"You don't get to use that against me," she struggled to say. Being reminded of the stupid mistake she had made when she was eleven by her oldest brother made her feel like that lonely kid that just wanted to talk to someone again. It horrified her to feel her eyes water. Not for the first time, she wondered what her boggart looked like these days. If it was still a teenaged Tom Riddle did that mean she'd never actually gotten past it?

"Gin—" Bill started.

Ginny looked up toward the ceiling, pinching the space between her eyes. "Just go," she said not looking at anyone else. "All of you. Just go."

She could see Charlie nodding toward their brothers in her peripheral vision, gesturing them to do so.

She listened to their footsteps as they slowly left the room.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Downstairs in the cafeteria, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger strategized on how to re-strategize their strategy for capturing Greyback and the other errant Death Eaters because something wasn't working.

In a pub someplace close to the hospital, Draco Malfoy contemplated another shot of Firewhiskey.

At the Burrow, Molly Weasley wondered if the war that had taken her brothers, her dear Freddie, and countless friends was ever going to end.

In Devon, Luna Lovegood and Colin Creevey debated aloud what Charlie Weasley looked like underneath his shirt.

At Shell Cottage, Fleur Delacour snuggled into her husband as Bill Weasley uttered his wish to see Draco Malfoy in Azkaban.

In Diagon Alley, George Weasley tickled Angelina Johnson to distract her from her thoughts of whether she had done right by her teammate.

In Holyhead, Gwenog Jones listened over the wireless to Percy Weasley as he defended his sister for the third time in the fact that, no, she did not provoke this attack because…why would she?

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Minerva McGonagall stood in line with her respective staff members as they strengthened the wards because there would not be another battle on her grounds.

And somewhere within a pristinely polished white mansion, Fenrir Greyback sat back and licked at a stray drop of blood underneath his fingernail, savoring the Weasley taste that he had become oh so addicted to.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was dark and two hours past visiting hours when Ginny swung her legs over the edge of the bunk and struggled against the throbbing in her abdomen to sit up. She braced herself there for a few moments, fingering her bandages to check if she had just reopened any wounds with the move.

Toe-by-toe she went until the full pads of her feet were touching the cool compress of the floor beneath her. Sliding them in every angle that she could, she searched for slippers. Upon contact her big toes hooked and reeled them in. Slippers on, she slowly stood to her full height. With tiny shuffles, Ginny edged down the length of her bunk toward the exit.

When she passed the next bunk, a voice called out, "Where do you think you're going?"

Ginny gasped and clung to the bunk post nearest to her in surprise. The sudden movement sent a sharp spike of pain through her wounds. After catching her breath, her eyes found her brother's, wide awake and unimpressed.

She glanced toward his bedside table where his Dreamless Sleep potion sat, still full. "You didn't drink your potion," she huffed, irritated.

"Not until you do, no." Charlie nodded toward the other full cup next to her bedside.

Alright, fine. She hobbled back to her bunk, taking a seat on the edge. "Charlie, what's going on?"

Charlie's eyes searched the ceiling for an answer. "I don't think we'll ever know what possesses some people to do the things they do, like today."

"No. I mean what are all of you not telling me?" Charlie stilled, but didn't speak. "You want to know where I'm going?" She craned her neck to look him in the eye. "To find out what's going on. Because my _family_ isn't giving me anything to go off of."

As he digested that, she sat up again ready to exit the room once more.

"Something happened while you at training camp in Holyhead." Ginny turned back to her brother. "Well—I mean, nothing actually _happened_ exactly but—"

" _What_? Just _say_ it."

"Mum found the dark mark over the Burrow one day."

"Was she hurt?" whispered Ginny.

"No-no nothing like that. No one was home when it happened. Mum had been out getting groceries and when she came back it was just there. It was a family dinner night, so we all came over early when we heard. Ron and Harry were furious. They brought Aurors over to scan everything and spent the better part of the day trying to convince Mum and Dad to move back in with Muriel. Mum wasn't having it, so Bill brought in a whole team of curse breakers to redo the wards there and at all of our flats."

"And since then?"

Charlie shrugged. "Kingsley says they're on it. Harry and Ron never seem too optimistic though. Bill and I have been checking up on the Burrow regularly ever since. So does Ron…I think Perce checks in with Dad every day at the Ministry."

"So, everyone was scared but no one thought to Floo and tell me?" At this point Ginny was resigned in the fact that she knew what her brother's next words were.

"Of course, we _thought_ about it, but it was your second week of training. No one wanted to pull you out of that or worse worry you when what you need most was focus."

"Well it doesn't really matter how anyone felt because it wasn't anyone's choice to make," Ginny snapped. "What it comes down to is: Am I a member of this family or not?"

" _Of course_ , you are—"

"Then I deserved to know."

"I know," Charlie admitted quietly.

"No, you don't. If you had, you would've Floo'd me yourself when it happened." Charlie didn't defend himself. "I'm sick of this," she whispered, "all of you got a warning, months ago. I didn't. Now both of us are in the hospital during the holidays." She shook her head, trying to focus. "I need to go figure this out for myself."

"Do that but be smart about it—wait till morning. It's way past visiting hours so the Floo is only for emergency use right now and you're in no shape to apparate yourself anywhere."

"Then I won't apparate. There are wizarding pubs along this street—I'll find a Floo that'll take me. I'll be safe."

"Remind me, because I don't remember arresting Greyback—no, that's right—we didn't, did we?"

"He came after me. I'm not about to roll over and wait until Aurors like Harry and Ron who have been looking for him for what—two? _Three_ months now—finally find him."

"You're injured."

"Exactly—because of him!"

"No—listen. I couldn't get out of this bed if I wanted to. Bill's already shaken up from seeing Greyback again today. Now is not the time to go out wandering around in the dark of London, injured in your slippers!" growled Charlie.

"You're right," Ginny conceded. "I can't go out like this." Charlie sighed in relief. "I need my real shoes on, and I think I see them right there by the edge of my bed." Pulling out her wand, she magic'd them onto her feet. "There, all set."

When Charlie began to protest again, she slipped her hand into his and held tight. "Thank you for coming," she whispered. "I was taken by surprise and I was very scared. I needed you and Bill, and you came. So, thank you. I'm sorry you got hurt."

Charlie looked up at his sister softly and murmured, "I was scared too. When I got there and saw you covered in blood…I didn't think you were going to make it." He squeezed her hand in his. "And about what happened back there…"

She shook her head knowing what he was about to say. "Charlie, it was nothing—"

"No, Gin it's…I—my face could've very well ended up like Bill's today so thank you. It was very Gryffindor of you. Even Bill was amazed that you did that no matter what he says mid-fight to you, okay?"

Ginny nodded and picked up the potion lying next to him.

"Drink it," she said. He looked apprehensive. "I've got four other brothers to look after me while you're asleep. Besides, you've done your brotherly duty for the day and I've got it from here."

After a few moments of hesitation, Charlie swallowed the potion in a few quick gulps. Ginny was surprised that her words had worked.

 _He must be extremely tired_ , she figured as he fell asleep, _or in pain_.

Confident her brother was in good hands, she walked out the room and over to the receptionist desk to inform the Healer on duty that she was discharging herself. This did not go over well. But what could they really do but let the stupid girl go?

Ginny left the hospital on foot, ignoring the Healers' offer of using the Floo. There was a ninety percent chance that Harry Potter was being woken up right now to be told his girlfriend had been released on her own recognizance and she did not want any trace of her whereabouts left for him to start hunting her down.

She hurried down the empty street, wand in hand, and entered the first Wizarding pub in her path with the hope she could convince the owner to secretly let her use their Floo. Draco was who she needed to talk to right now. Draco, out of everyone was: 1.) a person that would tell her straight up what he knew, 2.) may be able to help her, and 3.) most importantly, was useful.

And Draco…was right in front of her in a booth nursing a firewhiskey. "Draco?"

His head snapped up to hers and she slide into the booth bench across from him, taking in his red-rimmed eyes and uncharacteristically undone appearance. "Ginny? Are you okay?" One of his hands reached out but didn't quite touch her. "Why aren't you in your bed?"

"I-I'm fine. I'm healed so they let me go."

"They discharged you in the middle of the night. without your family there?"

"Mmhmm"

"Right."

He clearly knew she was lying, and she was grateful when he didn't push it. Now, Ginny was trying to remember what exactly she needed to say to him.

"Have you been here all night?" _Since the fight with my brother?_ He nodded. _Awww_. After these past few months, Ginny considered Draco to be a close friend and it was touching to see he cared about her too. "Anyway, listen…I have to apologize for my family—they're still hung up on the fact that you obliviated me… Plus, all of those reports saying that you tortured me and what not."

"Oh. Those pesky tidbits…"

"It doesn't sound good right? I know. You make it so hard for me to talk you up, Malfoy."

"Did you by chance try mentioning that those were all your ideas?"

Ginny waved off his suggestion. "I'm the baby of the family, I'm not capable of having such dark ideas. I have learned to live with it." _Not really_.

"Yet it frustrates you to the point that you run away from a hospital while injured?"

"Well at first I understood the healthy trepidation they were trying to instill. You know the—'don't obliviate my sister again or you'll regret it.' I appreciate that. But what was that back there? When I heard you in the hall, I had a genuine need to speak to you—to get information! But of course—why would little Ginny need to investigate anything after getting attacked by dark wizards? Honestly. All I ask is for a little bit of trust that I know what I'm doing."

"I see. So, you're fine with your family hating and threatening me as long as it doesn't interfere with your immediate needs?"

Ginny shrugged playfully. "That sounds bad, but are you surprised?" Then with cheek added, "Was the old Ginny nicer to you?"

He seemed to disconnect with her for a moment which she regretted since their back and forth had felt so natural just a second ago. Starring off over her shoulder, Draco replied quietly, "You were…yourself."

She didn't understand the internal struggle behind his words but chose to take advantage of where his head was at. "How did we break the ice the first time? In my sixth year? I always wondered."

Draco hesitated. "Well, you know how we broke it the second time in your seventh year."

"Sure, but things had changed by then. During the year of the Carrows…the circumstances were so…different. Professional quidditch wasn't what we were gearing up for then." _We were preparing for a war and the idea that we could die._

Draco sighed. Ginny realized he had decided something just then. "You're right. The circumstances were different." She watched as he scanned the pub around them warily **.** Barely anyone was there, and no one was paying them any mind. "You said you needed to talk to me back at the hospital? For information?"

Ginny nodded slowly. "Yes. But you already know what I want to ask, don't you?"

He took another look around the pub. Then, somewhat assured, Draco gradually began to roll up the sleeve along his left arm.

"I don't blame your family, you know," he stated casually. At her frown he elaborated, "I mean I'm frustrated with the consequences like not being able to see you in the hospital today but it's irritation at the situation not your family. I think I quite understand how your brothers must feel about me." He finished rolling up his sleeve and turned his forearm over so that it was placed vulnerable at the center of the table with the Dark Mark starring up at them. "It's not like I received this as a reward for good behavior."

She didn't care for his self-deprecating tone. It was too un-Malfoy-like. "They know you did it for your family at least. I know that. Harry made that clear during your trial."

"…Among other reasons…"

He had another reason for being a Death Eater? Ginny waited patiently for these other reasons. Silence.

But he was taking too long. "And these other reasons are...?"

"I broke. During my sixth year. I didn't see a way out. There was no way a sixteen-year-old was going to defeat Dumbledore and yet if I didn't my parents were going to die. Snape was all I had and at first, he played the role well—helping and pushing me to accomplish my task—but then he saw my resolve slip. My alliances were uncertain, and he could tell. So, he brought me to Dumbledore and Dumbledore explained how he was already aware I had been trying to kill him.

"I had never stood a chance. The irony was that he was dying anyway. What happened that night he died was as he had planned it. I didn't have to utter the curse, but a Death Eater still staked the claim."

"He planned it? But there were Order members hurt that night. You saw my brother's scars."

"Bellatrix and Greyback were last minute additions to the group that night. It was supposed to be a simple in and out and was never meant to get so out of hand."

"So…I guess it's not just you Bill should be blaming for that—it's Snape and Dumbledore."

"No," he shot back sharply, "he should blame me. They let the Death Eaters in to protect me. To make it look like I had more control over the situation. If it weren't for me, Snape would have done it himself without making a big show of it."

"At least this way, you and Snape had each other after Dumbledore," she tried to reason. "He was an actor until the very end. I don't ever remember any support from him when he became Headmaster."

"That's because he spoke to me and then I spoke to you," he informed her. She waited for him to elaborate. "We had given our word to Dumbledore to protect Hogwarts students after his death, but it became rapidly apparent at the beginning of the year that for all the information we knew, we couldn't act on anything. And so, I needed a reckless Gryffindor to feed information to."

"Me," she finished for him as they stared at each other from across the table. "So, you were basically a double agent for the Order?"

He had risked as much as she had and no one new. To this day, the Auror department kept him under suspicion and her family upheld what they understood to be a justified grudge. Quidditch player or not, Draco Malfoy was overtly known as one of the youngest Death Eaters of the second Wizarding War and people debated whether that implied he was dumb or meant he had the potential to commit greater evils in the future.

That had been the prosecution's argument during his trial—to lock him up before they had another Dark Lord on their hands. This further disturbed Ginny because what if Harry hadn't testified? She had no clue that she was missing memories back during the time of his trial. If his defense had been slipping and he had asked her to corroborate his story, she wouldn't have paid his owl any mind and he would've been off the Azkaban.

And still, Draco was quick to dismiss her comment. "I was never an Order member."

"But Snape was, and you helped him. I can't believe everyone still thinks you're—"

"I know what they think of me." His tone made it clear that she didn't need to go into detail about what people said behind his back.

"But—"

"I made my peace with that a long time ago." Draco broke eye contact with her and she felt like she had lost him right when she had this newfound urge to help him. "And besides, if we're going to find the Death Eaters that attacked you, it might come in handy." Or maybe he'd help her…

" _Really?_ You'll help me?" The hope that he would, tingled within her. "I know you said you didn't want to know but you say there was a list of people who might know and if they're willing to talk to you…" Draco contemplated this with his head bowed and Ginny leaned forward in anticipation of his next words. When he slightly raised his head, she spotted a small smirk and realized he was letting her sweat.

She was too excited to be angry and apparently her bouncing in her seat was enough to make even Draco Malfoy smile.

"I may have some people we can ask."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**AN: Please keep reviewing :)**


	5. Bludger Hit Part 2

**Bludger Hit A.K.A. Ginny, Age 18 (Part 2)**

The sun was already starting to rise when Ginny finally got Draco back to his flat that night. She dumped him unceremoniously onto his bed—but on second thought, remembering he had waited to see her, came back and took the time to tuck him in. The blonde unconsciously clutched the covers when she did so, burrowing into them.

Carefully, Ginny’s fingers lightly grazed the few blonde strands that had fallen over his forehead. She was amazed at how soft Draco’s features were when he slept. Then realizing she probably had a lot of different medical potions still in her system affecting her judgement, she left the bedroom and took up on the couch.

She was not ready to go to sleep yet. She was too hyped up. Draco was going to help her find Greyback. Knowledge is power and finally she felt like she was getting in front of all of this. As she continued sinking further into the couch, she imagined how it would be the two of them—her and Draco—apprehending these Death Eaters, finally getting the upper hand. _They won’t see us coming,_ was her last thought before falling asleep.

Ginny woke up when the Floo did. Through the slits of her eyes she watched as one man stepped through the fireplace in front of her, and then another. It seemed that she had already worn out her Fight or Flight reflex the day before because instead of jumping into a defense position, her mind merely told her that this was Draco’s fireplace so there was a ninety percent chance that these were friendlies.

“Weasley?” said one of the blurry men standing above her.

See? He sounded friendly enough. Blearily, She pulled herself up into sitting position and refocused her vision on the two visitors. “Zabini? Pucey?”

“Did Draco not tell you there was a guest bedroom?” She thought it was Adrian that asked.

“He was—” she made a drinking gesture, “—last night,” she stated as a reply.

“Ah, such a gentleman,” said Blaise with soft criticism underlying his tone. “We apologize for our friend.”

Then, Ginny remembered her conversation with Draco last night and paused in rubbing her eyes. “Oh! Zabini, Pucey, you’re here!”

“Yes.”

“That’s great!”

“Oh?”

“Yes, there’s something we need to ask you!”

“Alright?”

“I just—I just need to wake up first.”

“Coffee?”

Ginny sighed. “That would be lovely.”

Blaise nodded and walked over to the kitchen. Adrian and Ginny followed taking seats at the table. Blaise joined them, levitating three cups of coffee. Once the cup was placed in front of her, Ginny looked unsure into its black depths.

“It’s not poisoned.”

“I know, it’s just—do you know where Draco keeps his sugar?”

Wordlessly, Blaise summoned a cup of sugar onto the table. Ginny dropped two heaping spoonfuls into her coffee and stirred. Although, she knew it wasn’t enough sugar for her taste. She had just been in the hospital—she decided she deserved whatever amount of sugar she wanted.

But her spoon was already wet from the coffee. She lightly shook the sugar bowl above her cup.

A large sugar clump plopped into her cup, startling her. Jumping, she set the sugar down and began stirring again as if nothing had happened. She did not need to look up at the Slytherins to know Adrian was smirking behind his coffee. However, she was surprised to find Blaise looking at her with concern when she did.

“Are you alright, Weasley? You look a bit…sick.”

“I was attacked by a werewolf yesterday,” she stated plainly.

“Oh. Then, by all things considered, you look fabulous.” Blaise Zabini had a voice that felt like velvet when you heard it and when it dropped indulgently to compliment her, she did indeed feel, well, fabulous.

“Thank you,” she accepted with a genuine smile as she sipped her sweet coffee.

“And you said you had something to ask us?”

“Yes,” she confirmed, setting her cup down. “You see, there are some people we need to find.”

“People?”

“Death Eaters.”

Adrian interrupted a bit ticked off. “And you thought we would, of course, know where they are—”

“No.”

“—because we are the type to consort with Death Eaters. The evil Slytherins.”

“No, no, no,” Ginny said shaking her head and waving a finger. “Draco said that we should ask his friends because they may have a clue. So, when I saw you this morning, I thought ‘Oh look, it’s Draco’s friends—maybe they have a clue?’ I was merely connecting the dots. That’s it,” she stated as genuinely as possible.

“Uh huh.”

“Well, I guess I do owe you one, Weasley,” Adrian conceded. Ginny squinted, vaguely remembering standing up for Slytherin last year when the rest of the school was ready to cruxify them and getting Coote and Peakes to apologize to Adrian. “…but if you don’t remember that then—”

“Oh no, I do. It just took me a moment to remember because my mind isn’t programmed to turn my acts of kindness into debts.” They all smiled politely.

“Well, if that’s not what you do…”

“I will most certainly be cashing in since that’s your form of currency, which I guess makes sense as your form of currency since you all already have too much of everyone else’s main form of currency.” Ginny took a moment to contemplate her finding. “Is that how that works, then?”

“Yes,” Adrian confirmed, “at least that’s how our parents explained it to us when we were ten in between our cultural classes: How debts were the secret to dominating in the business world.”

_Was it her or was he actually nostalgic about this?_

“Hmmm,” she tried to relate, “when I was ten, I played with my siblings and my parents told me that, whatever I ended up doing in the future, to be sure that it made me happy; because that was the secret to dominating in life.”

“How quaint,” commented Adrian.

“I thought so, yes,” said Ginny, not at all perturbed by being so open with these men who she couldn’t remember ever having a single conversation with before. Probably because it was morning.

“So, what exactly is it that you’re trying to do?” asked Blaise, trying to get them back on track.

“Well, first we need to find Greyback and the Death Eaters that just crossed back over the border three months ago. Second, we’ll probably—” she made a neck slicing gesture for kill, “—them.” She did not trust Greyback to not break out of Azkaban again. “But we just need your help with the first part, not the—” neck slicing gesture, “—part.”

“Did you forget how to talk, Weasley?” said Draco as he entered the room.

Adrian eyed his friend disdainfully. “Did you drink more after drinking with us?”

Draco ignored this and walked to the kitchen to fix himself a glass of water.

“Well, of course he did, Adrian,” taunted Blaise. “Don’t you see? Draco was worried about Miss Weasley’s wellbeing last night.”

She just smiled while Draco scowled. “Call me Ginny.”

“And what exactly are you two doing here in my flat at this hour?” Draco called out sourly from the kitchen.

“Astoria made us promise to check in on you after you ran out on us last night,” Blaise explained petulantly, all the while returning Ginny’s smile. “And now we know why.”

Draco attempted to keep his composure as he half-haggardly slumped into the chair next to Ginny. He held his head.

“Coffee?” Ginny offered, scooting her cup toward him.

He conceded. “Just a sip.”

And that was all he got to drinking before his face puckered up grotestly. “There’s sugar in this,” he said.

“Just a tad,” said Ginny.

“Did you never learn to drink it black?”

Her head tilted in confusion. “Why would you do that if you can put sugar in it?”

“It’s the proper way to do so.”

This was factual for them, she realized. “You mean like the pureblood way of drinking coffee?” she asked looking to Adrian and Blaise to see if this was a communal sentiment.

Blaise nodded. “Basically.” 

“You know,” she started conversationally, “Hermione was showing me these charts just last week of purebred dogs and what all the in-breeding does to them. Some of them are born with skulls that are too small for their brains and a lot of them have troubles breathing because their bodies simply don’t fit their lungs. It’s horrid and then you start thinking about the long-term effects that wizards will eventually have from in-breeding…” She shook her head thinking about it. “I mean it’s astounding you lot have all your parts intact right now.”

Adrian grinned arrogantly, stretching out in his seat as if to say his parts were very, very much intact.

“You know you are a pureblood too, right?” Blaise pointed out.

“Yes, and believe me, I’m quite concerned.”

“Hmm, and where is your family anyway?” realized Blaise after her numerous mentions of said family. “Shouldn’t they be worrying over you from a hospital bed, right now?”

“Yeah and what about Potter? Don’t they all follow you around?” said Adrian.

Ginny waved them off. “I spent the day in St. Mungo’s yesterday but I was fine so they discharged me last night.”

“They discharged you at night?” Blaise questioned, sounding incredibly skeptical. “After a werewolf attack? In the middle of the night without your family or the Potter there?”

“Yes.”

Adrian appeared alarmed, while Blaise looked not-too-happily at his friend and hissed lowly, “Draco, I don’t want to go to Azkaban for kidnapping the Chosen One’s girlfriend and I don’t think Astoria would want you to either.”

Draco rolled his eyes, though it seemed he had thought about this as well. “No one is going to Azkaban, Blaise.”

Ginny shook her head in agreement. “Yeah, no. I mean I know my family is overprotective and _maybe_ they’d threaten to but it’s all just talk.”

She didn’t know what else to describe Blaise’s expression in that moment other than condescending.

“I think it’s time for Adrian and I to go.”

The two began to stand and Ginny could see that Draco had no intention of stopping them.

“Wait!” she cried out. Nudging the blonde, she prompted him, “Aren’t you going to ask them?”

Draco stared blearily at her. _Tick-tock, tick-tock_. Understanding dawned on his face. He waved her off. “Er, no. No, they wouldn’t know.”

Draco looked down at the table, willing his friends away. Blaise, however, appeared to get something out of that interaction. “ _Cassius?_ You’re taking _her_ to see Cassius?”

Cassius? Cassius Warrington? Ginny vaguely remembered him as a Slytherin that had been in the same year as Draco. And while she didn’t know much else about him, she didn’t like how Blaise had made that question sound so incredulous. Did this Cassius think he was too good to meet with a Weasley? Well, too bad.

“No. I’ll meet with him on my own,” Draco replied curtly.

 _Excuse me?_ She swatted his arm. “What? I thought we were doing this together!”

He seemed surprised by her reaction. “We are, but…don’t you remember?”

Remember what? “I don’t know, Draco, you tell me—you’re the one who obliviated me, remember?”

Two pairs of eyebrows shot up from across the table.

“Gin…” Draco was at a loss for words. “Cassius was one of the students that was part of your Legitimacy detention with Amycus.”

_Oh._

**XXXXXXXXXX**

One hour. One hour was how long it had taken for Ginny to convince Draco that her meeting with Cassius Warrington in the flesh was a good idea.

 _I barely remember him_ , she had reasoned. He was honestly a big blur compared to how she remembered Nott, Avery, and Amycus from that night.

_And if he feels guilty like you say then won’t he feel more compelled to help us if he sees me?_

_Besides, isn’t closure always for the best?_

Ginny wasn’t quite sure how she, herself, felt about these things she had said to Draco; but it gotten him to Floo Warrington, so she decided to pat herself on the back.

Daphne Greengrass, to Ginny’s surprise but not to Draco’s, had been the one to answer the Floo call. Apparently, Daphne and Cassius had gotten together around the same time she and Harry had in her sixth year. This was news to Ginny as she had always assumed Daphne and Adrian were an item considering the way Daphne had stood up to her when Adrian had been hospitalized after eating so many cursed sweets from Coote and Peaks last year.

 _Daphne is fiercely protective of us all in her own way_ , Draco had explained to her.

Ginny’s respect for Daphne increased at that comment.

Not that respect for the other girl was lacking at all before today. After that whole almost-incident between Slytherin and the rest of the houses where Ginny had felt the need to stand on top of the table in the middle of the Great Hall to shut things down, the two had been on good terms.

Especially after Slytherins had begun being welcomed into their all-house common room in the Room of Requirement. By the end of the year, the Greengrass sisters had taken care of the room just as much as anyone else and no one had doubted their belonging.

And it was because of that mutual respect that Ginny and Draco now found themselves sharing a breakfast spread with Cassius Warrington and Daphne Greengrass in the parlor of the Warrington family home.

 _Both his parents are in Azkaban_ , Draco had murmured to her as she looked around the mansion while they had waited for their hosts, _so it’s only him living here now_.

Ginny became increasingly grateful for Daphne’s presence after the two joined them. Without her it would have been suffocatingly awkward. Instead, Daphne and Ginny had greeted each other like old friends and Warrington’s disposition that screamed for how he wanted to be anywhere else but here was pushed aside.

“So, Ginny tell me—how are you?” Daphne asked her with genuine interest after the four had sat down. “You look…” the girl seemed to realize the fault in her words when she took another look over Ginny’s appearance.

“It’s alright, Daphne,” Ginny assured kindly. “I know I must look horrid. I just got out of the hospital.” She did not miss how Warrington’s eyes were desperately searching Draco’s for what this visit was about.

Daphne nodded. “Yes, we saw in this morning’s paper that you were attacked but it didn’t give much information or even say who…”

“Greyback.”

“ _Oh._ Did he—”

“Bite me? No, but he did get a few scratches in that’s for sure.”

Daphne watched as Ginny’s hand floated over her abdomen. “Well…we’re glad to see that you’re well enough to be out and about.”

“Thank you,” said Ginny. She could tell that Daphne meant it, so she hoped it was a good sign for the following conversation. “Well enough maybe, but probably not safe enough considering they got away.”

Daphne’s smile was strained. _Maybe not_. “Well, the Minister mentioned they had a good lead so hopefully this will all be over soon.”

“They have no leads, Daphne.” They dropped their smiles. Ginny looked pointedly at Warrington, who looked away. “But I might.”

Daphne reached for her boyfriend’s hand and squeezed as if to keep him from sweating in his seat.

“I should go check on the appetizers. Be right back,” said Warrington before swiftly standing up, out of his seat, and leaving the room before anyone could respond.

After watching him go, Ginny could have sworn she caught Daphne glaring at Draco, before switching back to a pleasant smile, “You know, I just remembered, Cassius doesn’t even know what I ordered from the house elves—I should help him check.” Daphne left the room, trailing behind her boyfriend.

Draco, unperturbed, picked up a biscuit from the light spread on the coffee table in front of them and took a bite. She watched him.

“Am I scary?” asked Ginny.

“Terrifying,” he responded, not looking up from the biscuit.

“Are you being serious?”

He shrugged. “Half-serious?”

“Draco.”

“Scary to them, yes,” he admitted.

“Why?” _Aren’t I the victim here_ , she wanted to say.

He finished the biscuit first. “You saw what my flat looked like after the Aurors went through it. Cassius goes through the same thing every time one of our ‘known associates’ pop up.”

“But I’m not an Auror looking to upturn his home,” Ginny pointed out.

“No,” agreed Draco, “you’re worse. You are the person that could potentially incriminate him further if anyone else found out that he had Death Eater knowledge that was still useful. Forget overturning his house. They would hound him till they found something else. You could overturn his life.”

“His life of being found ‘not-guilty’ after the war, despite being a Death Eater?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t the fact that he might know where Greyback is hiding out and hasn’t said anything incriminating enough?” Draco appeared disappointed in her line of questioning. Ginny didn’t like it.

“And it is exactly talk like that that is going to take Daphne’s boyfriend away from her and land Cassius a cell in Azkaban,” warned Draco. She had heard the frustration building in his tone during their conversation, but something made her want to see how far she could push him.

But maybe she should catch Greyback first.

“Right. I’ll turn it down a notch.” Draco gave her a look as if to say, ‘you better.’

And yet, she couldn’t help it. “But it’s not like he ever faced the aftermath of his actions like you and Blaise did by coming back to Hogwarts to finish your last year…”

“He had the Dark Mark,” stated Draco as if it were a birth defect.

“So did you,” she countered.

“He had more fanatical parents than mine. Bellatrix may have been my aunt but at least I never directly feared my parents like Cassius did.”

His parents, a subject she knew virtually nothing about. Although, she did remember her experience with the Chamber and for that she could not forgive Lucius Malfoy. The man was in Azkaban now. Narcissa Malfoy had also traveled abroad to escape those who remembered her as a Death Eater, but for whatever reason, Draco had chosen to live in his own flat in London, leaving Malfoy Manor abandoned.

Draco continued, “They wanted to make sure that the Carrows were investing their time in training him as a Death Eater. He harmed a lot of students that year under their direction and he has had trouble living with that guilt. Ever since his parents were shipped off to Azkaban, Cassius has become somewhat of a recluse within this house.”

Ginny was still unsure of the sympathy she was feeling.

“A recluse out of guilt?”

“Yes, and especially for your Legitimacy detention. If he still feels half as bad as how I felt that day, I suspect that he’s leaning toward helping us right about now.”

That didn’t sit well with her. “So that’s it? That’s why you’re helping me? Because you pity me?”

His expression told her he was just now realizing his slip-up. “I never pitied you,” he told her.

She thought of all the times when they were kids and that shameful heat covered her face whenever he commented on the little savings her family had to offer. Rolling her eyes at that line felt like a natural reflex. “That’s a lie and we both know it, Malfoy.”

“It’s not. I have never pitied you, Ginny,” insisted Draco. He sounded so genuine in that moment that she could almost bring herself to believe it.

Daphne re-entered the room, smile on. “The hour deurs will be out soon,” she announced upon reclaiming her seat.

“Can I use your loo?” Ginny asked, knowing that her only chance to get something out of Cassius would be without Daphne.

“Of course. Down the hall, third door on the left.”

Ginny muttered her thanks and walked until she found the kitchen. Slumped against the granite counter was Cassius.

“Hello?”

His body jerked straight at the sound of her voice. He was scary tall, taller than Draco. She could see why Death Eaters had hoped he would follow in his footsteps. But his eyes told her that he regretted standing to his full height and wished he could shrink down. Ginny vaguely remembered a tall figure in the detention room that night, but it wasn’t him that had made her fear for her life. Cassius didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands and settled on setting them on the countertop as if to say that he wouldn’t fight back should she attack him.

Not wanting Daphne to overhear, she walked up to Cassius until she was only a few short feet away.

“I don’t remember you very well,” she informed him honestly. “My memory of that night is a bit fuzzy.”

He seemed surprised, then sad. “Maybe that’s for the best.”

“I remember Nott and Avery and all the nightmares that came up and…what they…started to do after the nightmares...” He looked away from her to the sink in front of him. “But you, I barely remember, and I think it’s because there wasn’t much strength behind your spells—that you didn’t really mean it. So, I’m asking for your help.”

“I wasn’t one of _them_ ,” he felt the need to clarify, though it wasn’t her that needed convincing.

“No, but they thought you were, and Draco thinks you might have heard them talk about…safe places?”

“Look, Weasley—”

“Ginny.”

“ _Ginny_ ,” he stuttered. “I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you, but I just want to be with Daphne, and I can’t very well do that in Azkaban. _Please_.”

Just as when Draco had mentioned this, it confused her again. “You’ve already been cleared of any charges. They never had you on any Death Eater missions because you were in school. Telling us something you remember—something you _overheard_ —doesn’t exactly qualify you for Azkaban.”

“No, but if I’m right and they’re hiding out where I think they are, it might imply that I’m still in the know. Right now, I’m just someone that got branded with the mark as a naïve kid. If it turns out that I’m not as naïve as they think—then the next step would be for the Auror department to label me as a possibly dangerous Death Eater associate and they’ll start looking closer into my past and they might find things like your detention and maybe they’ll determine that the Unforgivables that I cast that year really weren’t as forced as I claimed them to be and—”

“Alright, alright, I get it,” she interrupted his rambling, now understanding his and Draco’s train of thought. “If it ever actually came to that and a trial—I would defend you.”

Cassius scoffed, but not out of condescension for her. “That might not mean too much considering that I think condemning those who tortured the Chosen One’s girlfriend would be a fun pastime for wizarding Britain.”

“We could keep your name out of it entirely. Only Draco and I would know that this information came from you. Please.” He was still staring at the sink hopelessly, which was much too resigned for her considering she was basically bouncing with the urge to shake him. “If Greyback is here in Britain with followers then it’s only a matter of time before he reaches out and tries to recruit you again,” she tried to reason. “Catching him now also saves your arse from being implicated in future things.” Ginny took a deep breath, reluctant to say the next sentence but knowing it was possibly the only thing that might get him to act, she offered, “I’m willing to take an Unbreakable Vow, if need be.”

They were silent and unmoving for a while before he turned to make eye contact with her again.

“That’s not necessary. Porter’s Prep and Posturing. It’s the school that wealthy Pureblood families send their kids before Hogwarts. Just keep my name out of it,” his eyes pleaded with her.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It had been an enormous relief for Harry to receive a patronus from Ginny telling him to meet her at The Three Broomsticks for lunch. It meant she wanted to talk—that they could figure this out together. Yes, he had been absent from her life a lot recently and, no, he had not known that Ginny was scheduled for a starting position in the Harpies’ first match of the season, but all of this was totally workable and he could already feel the bonds of their relationship solidifying again just as it had after the war.

Getting the call from St. Mungo’s that she had discharged herself had been a horrible wake up call. Literally. And he hadn’t had anything to go off other than her drugged up brother telling him what he already knew: _she left_.

He had been fielding questions from her family all day about her location. Even Kingsley, Mr. Minister of Magic A.K.A. Harry’s boss’ boss’ boss wanted to know where little Ginny Weasley had gone. Apparently, he was her godfather—which, no one had told Harry.

But he had gotten the patronus and now things were great.

Splendid, really.

So, when he passed through the doors of the pub and found Ginny waiting for him on the other side, his mind told him to hug her. The situation called for it. It seemed like the most appropriate thing to do.

“Thank Merlin, Gin,” he whispered in her hair. She felt pretty stiff in his arms, so he pulled back to see if her wounds were troubling her. “Are you alright?”

“Yes Harry, I’m fine, but…” She seemed nervous. “I did mean it when I said I needed to see you in more of an Auror capacity.”

“…Alright?”

“Er, now Harry, don’t be mad…”

“Why would I be mad?”

“Well…”

She seemed at a loss for words, but her eyes trailed to a booth in the far corner.

A booth where in which a familiar blonde man sat.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

“Honestly, Harry—an interrogation room? This is just plain unnecessary,” Ginny told her boyfriend as they stood in the halls of the Auror department.

“Ginny, don’t you think you’re taking this a bit too personally?”

What in the seven hells kind of question was that? No, was the simple answer because if she did, she wouldn’t be arguing with her boyfriend in the middle of the Ministry for everyone to hear.

She and Draco had agreed that in order to keep Cassius’ name out of everything, Draco would pretend to be the source of his information. However, Harry, straight after spotting Draco in the booth of the Three Broomsticks and learning he had information to offer, ushered both to the Ministry and into an interrogation room. With her brother.

When Ginny had started to dispute this treatment, Harry had pulled her out into the hallway. Probably because Draco had appeared delighted watching the Aurors get verbally toward apart by their girlfriend/sister. Now, not only was she mad but she had to trust Ron and Draco in a room alone.

“Too personal?” she repeated incredulously. “You really want to talk on a personal level? Fine. Personally, you have been hiding this entire situation from me for months—this is the least you can do.”

“I know and please believe me when I say that Ron and I are going to do everything possible to make sure your family is safe.”

“Stop talking to me like I’m some scared witch hiding from the dark wizards running around. Are you going to work with me or do I have to find some other Auror to help me?” She started looking around for said other options. “I think I saw Seamus just down the hall from here—” Ginny turned as if trying to ascertain where exactly she had seen Seamus roaming around.

“ _Seamus?_ He’s still in training!” Harry cried incredulously.

Ginny turned back to her boyfriend, stifling a sharp intake of breath from the pain that came with turning so fast. “Yeah,” she stated with a hard glare to prove a point, “and I’d bet he’d still be more helpful than you’re being Harry.”

She used her palm to apply pressure to her abdomen. Harry watched her do so, summoning up the courage to say quietly, “They said three days of bed rest, _minimum_ …”

Ginny rolled her eyes and turned, slowly this time, and began walking down the hallway calling, “ _Seamus Finnegan!_ ”

Harry hurriedly caught up to face her, stopping her march. “What I meant before when I said that Ron and I were going to do everything we could was that we _are_ going to talk to him and look into anything he can tell us.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, noting that he sounded sincere. “You will?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded contritely.

Now she was just confused. “Then why aren’t we doing that?”

Now Harry looked uncomfortable. “Because what I was trying to say was that Ron and I have got it from here…” The couple stared at each other for a bit. “… _without_ you.”

“Oh. _Oh_.” The anger was back. “No way. We’re a package deal. You really think Draco’s going to talk to you without me? I nearly had to put a sticking charm on him so he’d stay in his seat till you showed up.” That was a lie.

“Ginny,” his eyes pleaded with her, “I love you, but you’re not an Auror.”

“No, but neither is Hermione, right? I wasn’t able to come with you and kill Horcruxes two years ago because of the Trace, but I’m of-age now and you can’t conveniently stick me in the closet when there’s a fight going on anymore.”

“I wouldn’t call the Room of Requirement a closet. It’s quite large, Gin.”

“Ugh, the point is: forget about the frickin closet. Either deal with me or send me to Azkaban for buggering this case now before it gets to that point.”

“Azkaban is a bit dramatic don’t you think? You know we have holding cells here in the Ministry to detain people too?”

Already in a dramatic mood, hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised, she challenged. “You really think these walls can hold me?”

Harry paused, pursing his lips to swallow down what he had just been about to say and think of a nicer way to answer his girlfriend. “Yes,” he replied slowly, “that is what they were made for.”

Ginny’s confidence dropped slightly, obviously aware she wasn’t a super witch with any clue on how to escape Auror custody. _Let’s calm it down_ , she told herself. “Right,” she agreed, “but what do you expect the press is going to say about Harry Potter detaining his own girlfriend? Or the Quidditch League? And just how do you plan on explaining to your boss that you’re detaining an innocent woman indefinitely?”

Harry’s vision narrowed. She knew he was less concerned about the boss thing and more irritated at the notion of bringing the press into this. Into their relationship. As if they hadn’t inserted themselves enough into their lives.

“Package. Deal. So, what’re you going to do about it, Harry?”

**XXXXXXXXXX**

While Ginny and Harry argued in the hall, Draco and Ron remained sitting across from each other in the interrogation room, staring. Waiting. It had been a full minute since Harry and Ginny had left the room, meaning it had been a full minute since any sound had vibrated through the room. Besides Ron’s tapping. Draco eyed the redhead with indifferent eyes while Ron stared right back, slouched and unmoving except for his fingertips against the metal tabletop between them.

Ron’s lack of proper posture screamed: _yes, I was raised by wolves_ ; while his expression finished the sentiment: _and yet, I’m the one in charge here and you know it._

Draco would have loved to shove Ron’s hand somewhere but knew the Auror was just waiting for him to try it. Furthermore, Draco was the one with the information that this dim-witted man-child needed so a display of power play from the other man was pathetic.

Draco could, by all means, keep playing this game, but it felt pointless and he was on the verge of becoming hangry so that was priority one. “How about you fetch us some lunch, Weasley?” Draco said, breaking the silence. “I didn’t get any before Scarhead pulled us out of that pub.”

Ron stared back at Draco. His tapping continued and he made no move to stand up. Another minute passed without either breaking eye contact.

“I saw that scrimmage you were in last month.” Ron commented casually. Draco had not played his best that day. “Too bad. The Falcons’ must be worried.”

Draco stared expressionlessly back before lighting shrugging a shoulder. “No worries...I had you sister to comfort me afterwards.”

Ron’s tapping stopped.

Neither moved. Had he broken him? Draco wondered. Apparently, Auror training was very effective in teaching even a Weasley how to hide their emotions. Slowly, Ron ducked down to retrieve a brown paper bag from the floor beside him. On the table between them, Ron placed the bag down and pulled out a sandwich wrapped in plastic. Ron unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite, staring at Draco as he did so. Draco stared right back. Ron took another bite. A stomach grumble echoed through the room. Draco’s eyes wandered up to the ceiling.

Ron got three more bites in before the interrogation room door was abruptly thrown open and Ginny came in fuming.

“Draco, get up. We’re leaving,” informed Ginny, throwing a glare back to her boyfriend.

Although, Draco did not appreciate being ordered around, Ginny wasn’t Ron and leaving with her meant food so he readily stood.

“Ginny, you are being unreasonable—”

“Fine, then I’m unreasonable, Harry. Good luck on finding the Death Eaters you’ve been looking for for the last three months!”

“Gin, you can’t leave,” Ron informed her. “Bill made me promise to keep an eye on you.” Though Ron was arguing this he also could not be bothered to stand when he had a sandwich in his hand and therefore posed little threat.

“Yeah, well you know what you can tell, Bill?”

“Don’t say ‘stuff it’.”

“Stuff it!”

Harry, exasperated, kept his Auror face on. “Ginny, we have proof now that Malfoy knows something, meaning we have the authority to detain him for 24 hours.”

“What proof was that?”

“You told us.”

“Well then I retract my statement because like you said—I’m _crazy_ , so…” she turned to Draco’s empty seat. “ _Draco!_ ” _Where’d he go?_

“Right here,” he called already halfway out the door. She strode out of the room, fuming with Draco trailing slightly behind.

While Draco was incredibly happy to be away from the stupid room with the stupid man, he had not allowed Potter to parade him through the Ministry and into an interrogation room for no reason. He trotted forward to murmur lowly into her ear. “I thought you agreed that we needed more people if we were actually meaning to invade this place.”

Her pace did slow. “We do.”

“ _Ginny_ ,” he said warningly, “I am not going to revert to relying on those children you coddled that called themselves soldiers whenever they yelled in class.”

Um, they didn’t call themselves soldiers because they interrupted in class, they called themselves soldiers because they fought in the freaking war. Also, she did not coddle. “We won’t have to,” Ginny assured. “Just trust me and keep walking.”

Draco huffed beside her. “Well, at least I’m away from your oaf of a brother.”

“Was he really that bad?”

“Are you joking?” He honestly couldn’t tell.

“No! I mean honestly, sure, sometimes I can’t stand him and there are times where I swear I hate him, but…”

“But?”

“But he has really been growing up these past couple of years. Like a proper responsible adult. Most likely to Hermione’s credit, I suppose.”

“I guess I just bring out the child in him then. Let Granger know he still needs work.”

“It’s probably good for him. It’s easy and fun to be petty sometimes...Especially under the weight crushing responsibility of a war.”

“So, you’re saying he should thank me?”

“Should? Sure. Just don’t hold your breath.”

They walked fast down the halls and stopped at the lift entrance, waiting for the next to arrive. “Do you ever wonder if we should have chosen careers that have more…meaning to them? Especially after the war?” she asked him.

When Draco looked back at her, he noticed she displayed no signs of her previous anger. She was genuinely interested in discussing philosophy with him right now. Alright. As long as they stopped for food.

“No, I spent a year as a double agent worrying about the wellbeing of people who hated me so that I could do what I wanted someday. You?”

She appeared to seriously contemplate his answer. “I don’t think I do either. Quidditch was what I wanted to do before the war, and I didn’t want to let the war change that.”

“War changed us regardless.”

“True, and there’s strength in knowing what’s still in our control. And what we were fighting for in the first place.”

Draco could hear Potter calling out her name from behind telling her to wait, but she just walked into the lift. He followed. The doors were just about to close when they watched as Potter’s arm threw the slit, stopping the lift.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

A few hours later with the ground rules established, Ginny stared at the mansion surrounding them in confusion. “I thought you said this was a primary school?”

“It is,” confirmed Draco.

If she had thought the entrance was grand, she didn’t know how to describe the foyer. Ginny, along with Draco, Harry, and Ron stood before two staircases that peeled down from their meeting point on the second floor landing. Between the descending steps the group could see into two ‘classrooms.’ Above them on the second floor, Ginny could make out the ornate doorway outlines of three more ‘ classrooms.’ At the center of it all there was a lightly flowing fountain overshadowing the group. And was that a koi pond in the fountain?

Where was that waltz music coming from?

“Harry, is this what your primary school looked like? Ron and I never went to one.”

“Um, not quite. Mine was more…off-white, beige really. And smaller. More desks and less—" he waved a hand towards the Victorian loveseat sitting next to them which appeared placed simply for decoration, “—this.”

Ginny nodded with Harry’s assessment; happy she wasn’t the only surprised by all of this.

“What is that sound?” she wondered aloud, not able to find its origin and curious as to why it was even present.

“It’s waltz music,” said Draco as he took another cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwich from the spread put out by the entryway.

“I know, but why and from where?”

“There’s a ballroom upstairs to the left of the music room,” he pointed upwards in that direction, “it’s to prepare them for Ministry and business functions.” When Ginny looked confused, Draco elaborated. “Purebloods—” he glanced at Ron and caught himself, “—wealthy purebloods usually go to their first ball or gala at age 12 or 13, once they have a year of Hogwarts under their belt to talk up, and it is an extreme embarrassment for any family to have uncoordinated heirs.”

Now, thought Ginny, she was starting to understand this school’s philosophy.

“You mentioned a music room as well?”

“Yes—it’s where everyone takes their piano lessons.”

Everything about this place was meant to maximize a family’s ranking in society, she realized.

 _This is where you are in life_ , the walls screamed, _but will you be good enough to stay?_

“What about that class over there?” Ginny pointed to one of the rooms directly in front of them which held a group of nine and ten-year-olds silently focused on their textbooks. “Why isn’t anyone speaking?”

Maybe it was just her, but Draco appeared slightly nostalgic as he peered into the classroom she was pointing out. “Most likely they’re studying Basic Economics, an introduction to the Wizarding banking system. Self-study is heavily pushed in order to help sort the followers from the leaders in group exercises.”

“But they’re just kids…” Ginny couldn’t help but feel sorry for these little guys. Suddenly, the pretty white mansion wasn’t feeling so grand.

She didn’t expect the pointed look Draco gave her. “They are the future CEOs of the Wizarding World, future Ministry officials, future philanthropists—overseers of a lot of money and responsibility.”

 _This was necessary_ , his expression told her, and she could tell he thought these kids were better off understanding that now.

“What about those two?” asked Ginny pointing to two students in a loveseat on the opposite side of the room, chatting quietly. Wait, was that even English they were speaking?

“We have French courses too, since British and French wizarding businesses often work closely together,” he explained.

“We?” She prodded, excited to have caught his wording. Draco looked away. “ _Aw_ , that’s so cute that you still think of this as your school.”

“Cute? More like appropriate considering we came here to find some dark wizards,” Ron whispered to Harry.

Draco ignored this and replied with a shrug to Ginny. “I did spend a lot of time here as a child.” Then added, “There’s flying instruction as well,” as if it made everything else worth it and she wondered if that had been his escape. “They prep them for the Slytherin or Ravenclaw quidditch team.”

Ron scoffed unthinkingly at that. “Not that it helped,” her brother muttered. Or maybe it was on purpose.

Draco turned his gaze to Ron. “Oh, and what did you do growing up, Weasley?” he challenged. Ginny chose not to take offense to this.

Ron glared back. “We played quidditch and…” he trailed off, turning with red cheeks to his sister for help.

“We had a huge yard and big imaginations, but most importantly we had each other and after seeing this school, I must say that I am truly grateful for that childhood.”

Ron slung and arm around her shoulders and beamed down at her. “Love you too, sis.” Ginny leaned her head against her brother’s shoulder in a reciprocating gesture.

Draco frowned. “I thought you said you hated him yesterday?”

She shrugged. “This is what siblings do—we fight and then make up.”

Ron scratched at the back of his neck. “Uh, about that—Mione talked to me and—well we—” he pointed to Harry, “—watched your memory of what happened yesterday and what you did for Charlie and that was really cool of you, Gin. I shouldn’t have…”

Ginny reached over to give the fumbling redhead a squeezing hug. She could feel Draco rolling his eyes at the pair of them behind her back.

“What did you do for Charlie?” Draco asked, once she had pulled away from Ron.

“I—um…”

“She threw herself between him and Greyback right before Greyback permanently messed up his face,” Ron recounted with pride in his voice.

However, Ginny was surprised to see that Draco and Harry didn’t seem to share Ron’s sentiment. Instead, both seemed discomforted by the mention of it. The small masochistic side of her wondered if her boyfriend was holding himself back from saying that had been reckless of her.

Ron took a moment to hold his hand under the running water of the fountain for no reason other than it was there and it was interesting from a childlike perspective. Although it was harmless, the two children practicing their French, who no doubt had been told many times not to play with the water or have fun ever, judged Ron for this.

“… _conasse_ ,” one taunted, causing the other to snicker.

French or not, Ron could tell when he was the butt of a joke.

Draco smirked. “He just called you a—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Ron waved off Draco and focused in on the two across the room. “Listen kid, I’m an Auror,” he called out to them, pointing to the Auror crest on his robes. “You know what that means? It means I can arrest you.”

Harry groaned. “Ron.” He had been so grown up just a couple minutes ago.

“Congratulations, Weasley. You have just threatened a ten-year-old,” Draco drawled.

Ginny swatted Ron’s arm to distract him from Draco.

“Come on, Gin. They’re all little ferrets,” Ron tried to reason, pointing to Draco. “We could save them now before it’s too late.”

“Save them from what?” a newcomer’s voice boomed throughout the foyer.

Their party of four looked up to find a middle-aged woman in a dark blue taffeta gown descending the staircase.

“Mrs. Porter,” Draco greeted respectfully.

“Draco! How lovely it is to see you again. I always knew you’d grow to be such a fine young man.” The woman continued to gush and held out a hand, which Draco took and dutifully kissed.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Mrs. Porter.”

“I daresay you are old enough to call me Victoria these days, and the pleasure is all mine.” Her eyes glinted fondly at the blonde, then reluctantly turned to take in his companions.

“Victoria, these are my companions: Ginevra Weasley, Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley. Everyone this is Mrs. Victoria Porter, the Headmistress of Porter’s Prep and Posturing.” If this woman was impressed to see the Savior of the Wizarding World in her school, then she did not show it.

“Pleasure,” she claimed, “now I’m most interested to know what it was that you were discussing when I walked in?”

Before Ron could blabber his way into a hole, Draco mediated. “It’s no matter. Some uncouth things were said and they bear no meaning to be worth repeating.”

Mrs. Porter sighed, effectively put at ease by her former student. “Well, then…” She reached out to touch Draco’s cheek, staring at him with astonishment as if she were taking credit for her role in sculpting the fine specimen before her. “Oh Draco, we must introduce you to our best fliers before you go today. You know dear, you were our Important Person of the Week just last month in Current Events and Relations.”

“I’m honored.”

“Where the bloody hell are we?” Ron called into question.

“Language, young man!”

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Draco thoroughly enjoyed seeing his old primary school. Not that his experience there had been phenomenal, full of the happiness that the Weasley siblings kept insisting should have been part of a normal childhood; but it was nostalgic because these were the memories of before You-Know-Who.

Ron felt restless during the tour and discomforted by the constant flirting that was happening in front of them between Malfoy and the probably-McGonagall-age-Headmistress.

During the tour, Ginny watched and wondered where this polite, knuckle-kissing Draco had been before today because, yes, he had always been well-mannered at quidditch and ministry functions but this place appeared to bring out a whole other accent within him like he was an exhibitionist for the perfect preparatory boy.

Harry trailed behind watching for traces of dark magic or better yet a dark wizard on the loose because he was focused and secure in his occupation as a Auror at the moment and not at all concerned with how carefully his girlfriend was watching her good friend act like a ponce.

The tour concluded with an overview of the grounds—past the pool and in front of the quidditch pitch for Draco to greet potential Hogwarts players.

Ginny excused herself to use the loo and when she came back, she saw that their group had split up. Draco was still getting fattened up by Mrs. Porter’s praise in front of a group of students. Ron was walking around muttering Revealing charms, etc., desperate to arrest somebody, _anybody_ here today. Whereas Harry was starring to a specific spot on the ground towards the edge of the property.

As she approached her boyfriend, she realized what she was hearing.

 _Parseltongue_.

 _“…someone is coming_.” It came from where Harry was starring.

“ _I am friendly_ ,” she hissed back in the same tongue.

Harry looked up, unsurprised she had found them. He had been the only person she trusted enough to tell about her side effects from the Chamber. The twins had found out only because of an incident with a garden snake in the orchard. Other than begging her to be able to market this ability somehow in their shop, they had all been very good about keeping her secret.

 _“And where do these trespassers go?”_ asked Harry, continuing his conversation with the short, green snake peering up at them through the blades of grass.

_“Past the metal poles, disappearing through an invisible door.”_

Ginny and Harry gazed over the field in front of them. Past the goalposts…there wasn’t much property left past that. They could have whatever was hiding over there surrounded—

“We need to get an Auror team prepped. What time does school get out?” Harry said to Ron who had drifted towards the two.

Her brother shrugged, watching Draco pull out a pen to sign autographs. “Soon, I hope. I knew there was something not right with this place.”

**XXXXXXXXXX**

They soon realized that getting access to this mysterious and invisible entrance required a curse-breaker.

“Maybe we should push the civilians back further or better yet off the grounds,” suggested Bill as he worked on breaking down the wards of what they were assuming was either a campsite or some kind of a bunker.

As one of said civilians—i.e. her and Draco—Ginny did not care for his snark. “Or you could just acknowledge that without said civilians, none of us would be here, so therefore you should thank said civilians,” she shot back to her tool-of-a-brother.

Bill had not been warm towards her since his arrival. There had been no smile or acknowledgement that she had helped achieve something during her first day out of the hospital. Instead, Bill had Floo’d into the school and he and Ginny had had a non-verbal, eye contact conversation that went somewhat like this:

_You’re here, with him?_

_Yes._

Enough said. Bill had went to work silently on the wards while the rest of the group watched and other Aurors who had been called in watched the perimeter. Well, he was silent except for the every now and then comment that implied there were two people that shouldn’t be there.

Seamus Finnegan, from his position near the front of the pack, waggled his eyebrows back at Ginny after the latest comment. Ginny smiled. Seamus was by far the most rookie out of all the other Aurors that had been called in. If anyone was going to be tasked with escorting Ginny and Draco off the premises, it’d be him. However, after bonding over cuts and bruises with the guy for nearly a year, Ginny was pretty certain Seamus would refuse to do so.

The Irishman winked at her. In fact, he’d probably find it funny.

Draco fidgeted next to her.

“You could’ve called in a different curse-breaker,” she told Ron, loud enough for everyone, including Bill, to hear.

“Yeah, but this one’s my brother, so…” Ron finished with a gesture that said: _so, of course, I was going to ask for him!_

“There we go! That should be it,” announced Bill. The air before them shimmered before a door materialized before them. Its back end descended into the ground. It was a bunker.

“Alright team, wands at the ready,” said Robards.

Harry and Ron fell into line behind two more senior Aurors and Robards while Seamus hung back with another to guard the perimeter. Ginny and Draco watched them descend one by one down the steps. Bill hung back to let the Aurors work.

Ginny avoided looking directly at her brother as he leaned against the doorframe to wait, glaring at Draco’s shoes. She had to give Draco credit. Bill was scary when he wanted to be, unlike any of her other brothers. He and Charlie both dressed to represent the adventurous lifestyle that had chosen straight out of school. They presented the idea that they had braved things and survived through subtle touches of piercings, dragon skin pieces, and tattoos.

Bill was also big, but what really gave him the edge that set him aside from Charlie these days was how his eyes would color and the growls that would escape him when he was angry that made people wonder just how much wolf blood he had in him.

 _Whatever_ , thought Ginny. They weren’t the cool older brothers that needed to keep the peace among their younger siblings anymore. Their younger siblings were plenty cool and just as capable, and it was time they saw that.

Stepping toward Draco, she turned her back to her brother and faced her friend. He looked down to her curiously as she placed a hand on his arm.

“Thank you for today. For Cassius and for bringing us here. I really appreciate your help,” she whispered up to him.

That must’ve been a growl she heard behind her because she could tell from Draco’s facial expression that he was finding some humor in the situation.

“Of course,” he murmured back. “We are friends after all.”

“Good friends, yes.” She made to move away but Draco gently pulled her back.

“In all seriousness, I know you don’t remember it, but we are on the same side, Ginny. For the most part, at least.”

Before Ginny could try to understand more of what he was getting at, Ron rushed up the steps.

“Greyback?” Ginny asked right away, feeling hopeful.

Ron shook his head. “No but we did find someone with a Dark Mark. He’s knocked out right now.” Ron turned to Draco. “Harry and I are pretty sure we know who he is, but we were hoping you could identify him to be sure.”

Draco nodded and followed Ron down into the bunker. Ginny made to follow Draco but just before she could reach the first step down, Bill extended to lean diagonally across the frame, effectively blocking her path.

Neither one spoke for a while.

“What? No speech?” she taunted.

“I’m not quite sure how I can explain self-preservation to you in a way that you’ll listen,” Bill told you irritably. Her heartbeat picked up when she looked at him them. The disappointment from her eldest brother was crushing. “If you can’t be bothered to protect yourself, you could at least think of mum and dad and how they’d feel about losing another kid.”

Ginny scoffed exaggeratedly. She was fed up. “Right. So, when you lot fight it’s honorable, but when I do it, I’m a bad daughter?”

“The difference is we work together as a family and with people we know we can trust.”

“Please. Like any of you would have been willing to work with me on this. I ran away from the hospital because I knew I could do something helpful and I was right. If I had told you where I was going, none of us would be here right now.”

Bill paused, choosing not to directly respond. “My point is that we can’t keep caring about you more than you care about yourself.”

_What was that supposed to mean?_

It felt like some Tom Riddle shite all over again--someone explaining her flaws to her but if she actually chose to abide the outcome would be her soul getting sucked out of her.

Before she could accuse her brother of having similar intentions as the young Dark Lord, Draco cleared his throat from behind Bill, making his presence known.

“They found something that requires a curse-breaker to open,” Draco told Bill.

Bill nodded curtly and descended the steps past Draco. Draco walked over the threshold to face Ginny. Whatever news he had for her she could tell it wasn’t good.

“Who was it?”

He hesitated. “Travis Avery.”

She shivered. Travis Avery. _Avery_. The last boy that had been part of her Legitimacy detention with Amycus. Cassius, she hardly remembered, whereas Draco, she definitely did not remember, but Nott and Avery—they were among the worst of wizard-kind in her book.

And one of them was just a staircase away. _Shiver_.

She took a couple of steps away from the doorframe, causing Draco to flinch as if wanting to reach out in concern.

“Ginny—”

“I’m fine, really. Did they find anything else?”

“I don’t know, but I’m also not sure that they’d tell me if they did,” he said without frustration. He wouldn’t expect anything else. Ginny contemplated where they would go from here. It was in the Aurors’ hands now but they still had not caught Greyback. Draco tried again. “Ginny, Avery is—"

“I’d rather not talk about him,” she interrupted. “I’m just glad they caught him.”

“Alright, then. Let’s talk about something else…Ginevra, if I’m hurting your relationships with your brothers, we can re-evaluate how we work together.”

“What?”

“We can make it so that we aren’t seen in public together and keep our conversations to fire calls and letters.”

“That’s ridiculous,” she replied automatically. “We shouldn’t have to hide.”

“Shouldn’t have to, yes, but maybe it’s necessary. I know it’s eating you up inside knowing that Bill thinks you’re being reckless about all of this.”

“I don’t need my brother’s approval,” she retorted, though who she was arguing with wasn’t clear.

“No, but you want it.” Before she could dissent, he continued. “After the Chamber, it was Bill’s reaction that you were most worried about. The fear that he thought you were an idiot for trusting that diary tormented you for days while you were with your family in Egypt until you talked to him. Now, the older brother who you’ve looked up to for forever is all but outright calling you an idiot. I know you hate it.”

Her eyebrows had shot up during his explanation. “Is that something I told you during our first time around as friends?”

“Yes,” he answered simply.

They had been closer than she thought. “Alright. Well, technically Charlie—”

“—is your favorite brother, yes. But Bill has always been the most responsible as the eldest and therefore more qualified to give you slack. Charlie, on the other hand, has had a few hiccups and can’t judge quite as much.”

“I’m an adult. I can deal with it.”

She could deal with her family. She’d been doing it all her life. What she didn’t know how to deal with was the amount of information that she had apparently felt comfortable with telling Draco and not knowing the full scope of what she had told him.

Sure, she trusted Draco. But apparently, they had talked about the Chamber and that was something she had spoken to Charlie and Bill about once when she was twelve years old in order to get it all out. Not to be spoken about again. She and Harry had skimmed the surface of it but telling anyone about her insecurities afterward, especially with her family, was not something she ever expected herself to do.

Draco and her past self must have been closer than she thought.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Two days later, the first Order of the Phoenix meeting since the war, convened.

At first Ginny had been grateful to see Charlie smiling at her when she entered the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. It meant he wasn’t mad at her for going off on her own while he had been incapacitated, unlike Bill.

But then she saw the pity wash over Bill’s face when he spotted her and found herself stuck sitting in between Charlie and Harry as the meeting began. Charlie sat with his arm lazily slung over her chair while Harry’s chair was scooted just a bit closer to hers than it was to Ron’s. Both men were attempting to show they were there for her yet holding back so they wouldn’t scare her off.

It made her wish Draco was sitting in one of those chairs. He at least wouldn’t crowd her.

Something had obviously happened since the bunker. Aurors had questioned Avery and this meeting had convened in response to it. Meaning they had found something big enough to reunite the Order. Something the Aurors weren’t equipped to handle themselves.

Ginny sat listening to McGonagall and Kingsley at the head of the table, impatient to find out what had caused Bill to swallow his anger towards her.

“…therefore, it was quite disturbing to hear Avery recount his recent conversations with You-Know-Who,” said Kingsley.

“You mean he’s reliving his past before You-Know-Who died?” her father tried to clarify.

“No,” said Kingsley as if he wished he had any other news to give, “these were conversations he had just these last few weeks.”

“It seems Avery had the Resurrection Stone in his procession,” stated McGonagall at their confusion.

“Does that mean he’s…” another member whispered weakly.

“No,” Harry spoke firmly, “through the stone all he can do is talk.”

“Talking is dangerous enough. It makes him out to be the undefeatable Lord his followers always dreamed of,” Robards countered.

“Yes, that would be bad enough, yes, however…” Kingsley trailed off looking to McGonagall to deliver the most unsavory tidbit.

“Apparently, You-Know-Who informed his followers in that bunker of a way to resurrect him using the Resurrection Stone and another artifact that he stowed away decades ago in the Chamber of Secrets. We are still checking these claims, but it seems that is why Greyback attacked Miss Weasley. For access into the Chamber.”

Silence hung over the table as McGonagall stopped to let them absorb this.

No one in her family had argued against her coming to this meeting and just twenty minutes ago that had felt like she had won something. Now, as if Draco were there explaining the unpleasant nuances to her, she realized it meant that this was something her family didn’t even feel they could protect her from.

“I thought the stone was safe?” Ginny couldn’t help but blurt out, staring at McGonagall.

“Well, none of us really looked for it after Harry dropped it in the forest,” Hermione supplied unhelpfully.

“I mean after _I_ found it in the forest last year.”

Her mother gasped. “You had that thing and didn’t tell any of us?”

“Yeah, she had it, but she told all of us when she found it,” said George coming to her defense but purposefully leaving out what they used it for. He obviously did not want his mother to feel like her chance to say goodbye to her dead son had been taken away from her. However, from the way her mother visibly retreated into herself, Ginny could tell she knew what they had done.

“Ginny, Bill, and I returned it to Professor McGonagall for safe keeping,” Charlie told the table.

“And I returned it to the Ministry,” McGonagall said.

“Where it was then stolen by a trainee in the Unspeakable department named Theodore Nott, who was under Ministry investigation at the time,” said Kingsley.

“ _Nott?_ ” Ginny looked towards Bill who was watching her solemnly. How had Nott been accepted into the department that held the best-kept secrets of the Wizarding World? After she had spilled her guts out to Bill and Charlie, they had demanded the names of the seventh-year Slytherins that had tortured her during the Legitimacy detention.

Her brothers had told her that they would take care of it—that they would take it to the Wizgarmont.

“The Wizgarmont member that we spoke to recommended that Nott be placed under investigation in order to find more people with…claims against him. To make a better case,” explained Bill.

Ginny understood what this really meant. “So, you’re saying if I had told you sooner, Nott might have been in Azkaban by then and no one would have been able to steal the Resurrection Stone that could possibly resurrect You-Know-Who?”

Kingsley interrupted before Bill could placate. “No one under Ministry investigation should have been allowed anywhere near that stone. That was a Ministry oversight that I am personally looking into.”

“What should you have told Bill sooner, dear?” asked her mum from across the table.

Ginny had almost forgotten her parents were right there. Her mum’s eyes were so pleading that Ginny had to look away, but then she found her dad staring sadly at her and she couldn’t help it when her eyes began to water.

“Nothing, mum,” Ginny muttered before standing and moving towards the closest exit. “I’m just going to get some air.”

Ginny was out the door before she could see Charlie standing up to follow and Harry placing a hand on Charlie’s shoulder.

“Let me,” said Harry, “I know how she feels.” He had felt it one too many times. Charlie nodded. Harry left the room without looking back.

He found his girlfriend hunched over on one of the porch steps. Ginny looked up when he approached, wiping away her tears. “Not now, Harry, please.”

Harry sat down anyway. “I thought Ginny Weasley wasn’t one for self-pity?”

“I’m not, but even you know it’s deserved. If I hadn’t found the Resurrection Stone in the first place, none of this would have happened,” said she, try to keep the self-deprecation out of her voice.

“If I hadn’t been alive in my fourth year, Voldemort wouldn’t have had my blood to be reborn.” She knew where this was going. “And don’t get me started on Sirius.”

“That’s ridiculous. There was nothing you could do in either of those instances and you know that.”

“Yes, now; because at the time someone wise told me repeatedly how ridiculous I was being.”

 _Aw_ , he was talking about her. “So, are you supposed to be the wise person in this situation?”

“Attempting to be, yes.”

She snorted. “Well, it doesn’t suit you.”

Harry let out a heaving sigh beside her. “Then I promise to do something stupid soon so we can switch back to our normal roles.”

He wasn’t exactly cheering her up, but their relationship had been a bit fragile lately and so the fact that they were talking like this meant something. She laid her hand on his inner arm, hoping it conveyed that she appreciated the effort. For a moment they simply sat. His fingers brushing lightly over hers. She was building up the courage to suggest that they’d go up his room and take a nap when he interrupted the thought.

“You didn’t tell me you found the Resurrection Stone.”

It wasn’t a question, just a comment. A comment on their relationship, really. She had hoped he’d leave it be, that it’d just be the elephant in the room that they wouldn’t confront. Not when touching each other finally felt like a relief again. The chance to talk to her dead brother had been a big deal, but it was something she had chosen not to share with the supposed most important person in her life after her family.

“No, I didn’t,” said Ginny.

Harry’s fingers stopped moving over hers. “What happened to us?” he wondered aloud.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I felt a bit ashamed using it after you and Hermione told me of all the negative long-term effects.”

“Yeah, long-term, Gin. And I was mainly saying that to convince myself against going to find it,” he admitted bitterly. “You know a part of me would give anything to talk to Sirius again.”

“I know, Harry, but the fact is that you didn’t go out searching for it. You’re strong. All of this—I guess I hated the idea that you might think of me as weak by how badly I needed that thing.”

“You used it what? Once, maybe twice before you let your brothers turn it in? Same as me. We both needed it, Gin, and I don’t think either of us should be ashamed to admit that.”

They still weren’t looking at each other, just staring forward as they spoke. She felt safe enough to lay her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her.

“Besides, only a fool would think Ginny Weasley was weak.”

**XXXXXXXXXX**


End file.
